BHA sets confident tone as it awaits Monday go-ahead

RACING CORRESPONDENT

Inside information has been one of the British Horseracing Authority’s betes noires since the arrival of betting exchanges but, after weeks and months of doubt about the resumption of the sport behind closed doors, the tone of its statement welcoming back racing at Newcastle on Monday suggests a little bird has told it something.

In the continued absence of any official announcement from the Government, a statement from the BHA said it was now “counting down the hours to the return of racing … the long break is nearly over”.

It would be almost unfathomable to think that, after the effort, time and money put into racing’s resumption, the Government would merely leave the traffic lights on amber and sport in abeyance beyond the date, June 1, which it indicated would be possible.

“We are looking forward to official confirmation from the Government after it has published its guidelines for the resumption of sport in the next day or so,” the BHA statement continued.

“This morning, we’ve been busy processing the declarations received for Newcastle on June 1 and we are now implementing our new medical screening procedures to ensure we safeguard those who plan to be there on Monday for racing’s return.”

It was also busy yesterday at Lingfield, where a second run-through of the protocols was taking place. At the first one, on Wednesday, a series of short instructional films about the new procedures was made. Yesterday, “races” were run from the stalls.

“They were designed to assist in ensuring our processes have been sufficiently worked through on the ground with both equine and human participants present,” a spokesman said.

On the other side of the Channel, the French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, the first major European Classics of the season, take place at Deauville on Monday. The fillies’ classic boasts a British owned runner in the Andre Fabre-trained Tropbeau, who belongs to Lady Bamford.