Western Morning News (Saturday)
One meeting per day restriction remains in place for now
JOCKEYS will continue to ride at a maximum of one meeting per day for the immediate future, while minimum prize-money levels are set to be restored to pre-Covid levels, the British Horseracing Authority has said.
Racing’s rulers published a complete 2021 fixture list yesterday after initially only unveiling definite dates for the first four months of the year together with provisional plans for the remainder due to the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic.
The BHA has now confirmed a list, which encompasses a total of 1,486 meetings, developed “with a view to maximising revenue for the sport and participants, while safeguarding participant well-being and taking account of the horse population”.
There will be five fewer fixtures in total this year compared to what was scheduled in 2020, with the volume of races in July and August reduced “to ensure competitive racing and safeguard against possible reductions in horses in training as a result of the pandemic”, with juvenile numbers forecast to take a potential dip.
With the backing of the Levy Board, which has allocated £16.4 million for prize-money between May 1 and June 30, and increased racecourse contributions, minimum race values will be reinstated for all tiers of races in 2021, with class one races and heritage handicaps having been operating at 75 per cent of their pre-Covid levels.
Richard Wayman, chief operating officer for the BHA, said: “Publishing the full fixture list now will provide greater certainty for the sport and its customers. This is particularly important for racecourses, who are being asked to make increased executive contributions as Levy Board funding begins to scale back.
“Of course, until spectators return and retail bookmakers reopen, racecourse revenues remain under considerable pressure. However, the publication of the fixture list does, at least, reduce one area of uncertainty for racecourses and would allow for increased confidence in forecasting some of their future revenue streams.
“Working with racecourses and participants, we will continue to develop the sport to make it attractive to both existing and new customers and investors.
“In addition, racing continues to liaise with Government and the appropriate bodies around the return of owners and spectators to race meetings, the delivery and distribution of the Government’s £40m winter survival fund, the potential impact of the Gambling Commission’s consultation on remote customer interaction, and proposals for urgent reform of the Levy.”
The number of Flat jockeys likely to be available at any one time means that a maximum of five Flat fixtures will be staged on any single day, with 18 fixtures moved for one year only to account for this. No crowds are permitted until May 17 at the earliest, when only a limited number of racegoers are allowed under the Government’s road map.