Ayr leads the way as Scottish sport takes a step out of shutdown

HORSE racing will be the first out of the gate when competitive sport finally returns in Scotland tomorrow after a three-month absence.

Ayr Racecourse will have that particular honour, hosting nine races with a total prize pot of around £100,000.

Very few, however, will be there in person to watch it all unfold. Racing will take place behind closed doors for the foreseeable future, presenting Ayr managing director David Brown with mixed feelings as he prepares to welcome back horses, jockeys and trainers but not owners or, most importantly, cash-paying punters.

‘It’s great that we are finally getting going again, albeit behind closed doors,’ he said. ‘After racing was able to start down in England a few weeks ago, we were always hopeful that we wouldn’t be too far behind. So we’ve been making plans behind the scenes to make sure we would be ready for racing to re-start here, too, while meeting all the social distancing and other requirements.

‘But I think it will be hugely strange with no customers. The feedback I’ve had from other courses is that it’s a very surreal experience without them.

‘Having fans or customers is vital to the whole live sports experience. We have to take cognisance of Scottish Government regulations but everyone will be delighted whenever the day happens that customers can come back.’

The start of lockdown could not have been worse for Ayr, with racing suspended just a month before the Scottish Grand National when around 20,000 punters were expected to attend.

Brown admits with no racing or other off-course events — pop stars Little Mix were meant to be appearing in concert this summer — they are looking at losses of millions of pounds.

‘There’s no doubt about it — racing’s finances have been dramatically affected by this whole pandemic,’ he added. ‘Although we race throughout the year, our summer season from the Scottish National through to the Ayr Gold Cup is when the majority of our revenues are generated through ticket sales and hospitality. Without customers it’s a major blow to the finances.

‘We’ve also got a hotel on the site and welcome a lot of non-racing events, so we’ve endured some severe difficulties. In terms of lost revenue, you’re talking millions of pounds due to the lack of any activity at the racecourse.

‘When that money is gone, it’s gone. We can’t get back another Scottish Grand National. If you lose a race meeting, it’s a goner in terms of the fixture list. It’s not like football when you can re-arrange for another date.

‘I can’t underestimate the financial implications from this loss of activity and revenue. We’ve always tried to run the company prudently but inevitably there are going to be severe challenges ahead.

‘Hopefully there will be ways of mitigating those losses through additional Government support but there will be some tough decisions ahead.’

The popular Gold Cup remains on the calendar for September and Brown hopes there will be racegoers there to watch it in person.

‘I would love to welcome customers back to the racecourse for that one,’ he added. ‘Lockdown is starting to open up and businesses are getting going again. It’s just about timing.

But from our perspective we would love nothing more than to have a crowd in for the Gold Cup.

‘It will be led by the Government as always but it would be a massive boost as soon as we are allowed to have customers back in. They are the lifeblood of the sport.’