BHA pledges support as racing suspended

● Postponement until end of April will have ‘huge ramifications’

British Horseracing Authority chief executive Nick Rust has assured racing participants that every effort will be made to financially support those who work within the industry during the sport’s suspension.

The coronavirus pandemic forced the BHA to call a halt to racing until the end of April yesterday – a period that includes the Scottish Grand National at Ayr – citing the need to “protect essential emergency services and the health and welfare of staff working in the racing industry”.

While those within racing have supported the decision on the whole, there are plenty who are fearing for their financial futures. “We haven’t got any definitive information at this stage, but the sport’s leadership that helped come together to make the decision, which the BHA board consulted, will be coming together in the coming days to make the point clear [to Government] that as well as being a sport, we are an industry,” Rust told Sky Sports Racing.

“The Government knows that, we have good support in Government, they have been across the decisions we have been making.

“When everything is going right, we employ 17,000 people in racing and another 50,000 or so whose income derives mainly from the sport.”

In light of social distancing and the need for public services on racecourses, Rust felt there was no option but to postpone racing. Wetherby and Taunton staged meetings behind closed doors yesterday before the suspension began.

“We are taking the right action to keep people safe,” he said.“we will make the point to Government that many people rely on his industry for employment, it contributes, based on some surveys we’ve done, around £4 billion to the economy.

“It generates that in employment and economic income, so we need the Government to consider the scale of our industry and help support us through this period.

“There are Levy Board

“We will make the point to Government that many people rely on his industry for employment, it contributes around £4 billion to the economy”

NICK RUST

reserves that can be called upon, and other funding sources within the industry which we’ll need to examine, which can provide back up so we can provide support where it is needed.

“We’re doing everything we can and we’ll provide as much information as we can, just bear with us. We’ve got senior people working on this and willgetinformationoutwhenever we can. We took the decision for the right reasons, for the public services, but we are acutely aware of the situation within our industry.”

Arena Racing Company’s chief executive Martin Cruddace believes the suspension of racing will have “huge ramifications” for the sport.

ARC owns 16 British racecourses, including Doncaster – home of the traditional Flat season curtain-raiser in the Lincoln – and Lingfield, which would have staged All-weather Championships Finals Day on 11 April.

Cruddace said:”we are obviously hugely disappointed to

Tiger Roll will be 11 next year, and suffered an odds-on defeat at the Cheltenham Festival behind French raider Easysland last week, but Elliott holds every hope he will be back at Aintree in 2021.

“There is every chance of him competing,” he said.

“He hasn’t got that many miles on the clock, and we will be training him back for the Grand National again.

“You’re training horses day by day, never mind year by year, so I’ll be taking things day by day and there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge by then.

“He’s in good form and he was all set for the National, but unfortunately we’re only one of 40 horses , and so we’ve just got to keep going.

“All we can do it dream – so you never know what might happen.” see racing suspended until at least the end of April, but the safety of all participants, as well as the wider society is paramount.

“Whilst we understand the decision, there is no doubt that the suspension of racing for this period, and possibly longer, will have huge ramifications for the ecosystem that racing supports and for the bookmaking industry also. We will now look to take every step to support our employees, the business and our partners in the betting industry in the short and long term, and make sure we are ready to race again as soon as a fully analysed and risk assessed decision to do so is made.” 2 Racing went ahead behind closed doors at Taunton yesterday but the BHA has now called a halt to the sport due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Horse Racing Ireland announced last Thursday that racing would take place behind closed doors in Ireland until 29 March – and two St Patrick’s Day fixtures at Down Royal and Wexford went ahead yesterday. However, in light of the latest government advice, a decision on whether racing can continue in Ireland is set to be made today.

Meanwhile, the BHA said a decision will be made on the destiny of this year’s National Hunt championships in “due course”. The champion jockey, trainer and owner are usually crowned on the final day of the jumps season at Sandown, which was this year scheduled to take place on 25 April.

Following the conclusion of racing in Britain yesterday, Brian Hughes, pictured, held a 19-winner lead over four-times champion Richard Johnson in this year’s jockeys’ title race – and there was speculation that Hughes would now be confirmed as champion. However, a BHA spokesmansaid:“thisisafastmoving situation and the sport is working collectively to manage the many issues that arise as a result. Decisions as to how the situation affects the jump jockey, trainer and owner championships will be included in that process in due course.”

In the trainer’s title race, Nicky Henderson leads Paul Nicholls by almost £200,000, while JP Mcmanus is unsurprisingly a long way clear in the champion owner table.