Under starter’s orders for return of race crowds
UTTOXETER TRACK CHIEFS WANT SPECTATORS BACK FOR SHOWPIECE IN MARCH
UTTOXETER Racecourse is ready to bring back spectators safely, the venue’s top boss has said.
Executive director David Macdonald has spoken out after Chester Racecourse unveiled plans to allow 5,000 spectators at its May meet.
The Cheshire course will carry out 1,800 lateral flow tests an hour at three different sites, with staggered arrival times for racegoers.
It comes after a year of having to hold race days behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic.
And with Uttoxeter Racecourse among Staffordshire’s top tourist attractions, bringing millions of pounds into the town’s economy every year, officials are keen to open for business.
The biggest race day in the Wood Lane course’s calendar, the Midlands Grand National, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 20.
Mr Macdonald said: “Uttoxeter Racecourse will continue to work with our industry colleagues at the Racecourse Association and British Horseracing Authority to lobby the Government for the return of spectators to racecourses at the earliest safe opportunity.
“Racecourses are ready to do so, thanks to successful trials in 2020, which demonstrated how we can operate safely.”
With millions of people having been vaccinated this year and lockdown bringing infection rates down, many are calling for restrictions to be eased as soon as possible.
Racing was cancelled for 10 weeks late last March – shortly after the Cheltenham Festival, which was attended by tens of thousands and reportedly led to a spike in virus infection – and the first lockdown was imposed.
Later fixtures were allowed to go ahead, with only the minimum number of people allowed on site, meaning no horseracing was able to take place in front of crowds. Last autumn, racing’s ruling Jockey Club staged pilot racedays, with extra restrictions. It seemed this would be the way ahead, with crowds of up to 2,000 allowed, depending on the previaling tier restrictions and facilities for social distancing.
Four tracks – Haydock, Kempton, Lingfield and Ludlow – had limited crowds at their meetings in early December. Racegoers had to observe strict Covid protocols.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will outline a “roadmap” to moving out of the third and “last” lockdown on Monday, February 22.