Kelso set to race behind closed doors after Holyrood decision

Monday’s race meeting at Kelso will be held behind closed doors, the British Horseracing Authority has announced.

Racing in England currently continues as normal despite the coronavirus outbreak, but the BHA has moved to clarify plans in Scotland following the First Minister’s statement advising that events attracting more than 500 should be cancelled from Monday onwards.

A statement read: “We are seeking further guidance from the Scottish Government after their decision yesterday to ban outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people to protect the resilience of critical emergency services.

“Prior to receiving detailed advice from Scottish Government, racing at Kelso on Monday will be behind closed doors. The number of staff and participants will be below the figure of 500 for outdoor gatherings.”

Kelso managing director Jonathan Garratt said: “We remain optimistic that, once the appropriate procedures for staging racing are agreed with the Scottish Government, we may be able to welcome racegoers at our valuable fixture on Saturday 21 March.

“However, there is a lack of clarity and we are receiving a large volume of calls from racegoers who are seeking advice about travel and accommodation. In order to give everyone greater certainty over the weekend, we have taken the decision to run Monday’s fixture behind closed doors.”

Meanwhile, Musselburgh is in discussions with racing authorities and the Scottish Government over what form its next race meeting should take.

The East Lothian course is scheduled to stage the Racing Post Go North meeting on Friday 20 March, and could follow Kelso’s lead and hold the meeting behind closed doors.