Hemmings told to stay away as crowds flock to the Festival
Doctors said billionaire owner was ‘high risk’ Fears rise for running of Grand National in April
Trevor Hemmings, the billionaire owner, stayed away from Cheltenham yesterday for the first time in decades because of fears over the coronavirus.
He was the second high-profile owner to give the festival a wide berth, with Michael O’leary also due to be absent for the rest of the week to guide his Ryanair business through the global crisis.
Hemmings, 84, was ordered to stay away by specialists who said his diabetes would make him “high risk” if the virus were to hit at the Festival. Friends of the businessman, who also owns Preston North End football club, said he was “miffed” to miss two of his runners – Burbank and Vintage Clouds – in action yesterday.
“He’s been like a two-year-old on the phone getting updates,” said bloodstock agent David Minton.
“The diabetic specialist told him ‘no’ so he’s had no choice about staying away.”
The Festival escaped suspension by the “skin of its teeth”, according to racing insiders, many of whom believe plans are already in place to run the Grand National behind closed doors.
Contingency planning is already taking place in racing and beyond, with the Government declaring the virus is expected to start peaking in the UK within the next two weeks.
A total 373 people have now tested positive, with six deaths, and deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries now says “many thousands” will be infected in the UK.
Yesterday, however, the Festival defied fears that racegoers would be put off by the escalating chaos caused by fears surrounding the virus. Zara Tindall and at least 10 members of the England rugby team were among a resolute crowd of more than 60,000. The Jockey Club claimed last night that, despite panic elsewhere, numbers were only 7,000 down on the all-time-record opening-day crowd of 67,934. Ian Renton, regional director of the Jockey Club, said: “We are very happy... considering the uncertainty of the last fortnight.”
Three Britons have contracted coronavirus in Gloucestershire over the past month and the high numbers at the Festival came despite racegoers being told to stay away last week if they had any symptoms or if they had travelled to high-risk countries.
However, organisers – who were briefed on crisis talks between governing bodies and senior civil servants at Whitehall on Monday – said the decision to press ahead was entirely the Government’s.
The final approval came on Monday when Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, said: “At this stage we are not in the territory of cancelling or postponing events and I don’t expect that to be the case after today. I was at Twickenham with the PM. There was a huge crowd of people there. There’s no reason why people should not be going to those sort of events. I think it’s very premature to be talking about that sort of thing.”
Despite a huge surge in infection numbers elsewhere, the Government has already told sporting bodies it is concerned by causing a so-called “doughnut effect” around events like Cheltenham, including at pubs and transport networks.
Cheltenham is already one of sport’s biggest challenges for local infrastructure, with more than a quarter of a million people attending over four days. Gold Cup Day often sees a sell-out crowd of more than 70,000 and Gloucestershire estimates the economic impact of the week at £100 million.
The public health notice released by Cheltenham reads: “Do not travel to the Cheltenham Festival if you have any of the following symptoms: a cough, a high temperature or shortness of breath and you have been to or transited through the high-risk countries, or been in contact with anyone that has, in the last 14 days.”