Talking Horses: all racing to go behind closed doors from Tuesday

The British Horseracing Authority confirmed yesterday that all British racing will be behind closed doors from today until at least the end of March, while Randox Health, the medical research company which sponsors the Grand National, has cancelled all its hospitality arrangements at next month’s three-day meeting, effectively confirming the race will take place behind closed doors or not at all.

The move behind closed doors was confirmed by the BHA earlier in the day, shortly after the authority’s announcement that its own offices will be closed for an indeterminate period after some members of staff showed symptoms of coronavirus.

The BHA said that while some meetings may be cancelled at short notice, its aim “is to agree a programme that is sustainable, in the light of possible staff absences, including in critical roles, in order to protect industry staff and support the wider effort to free up critical public services”.

The French racing programme, which had been behind closed doors for a fortnight, has been abandoned until at least 15 April.

“Our top priority is the wellbeing of everyone involved in the horse racing industry and to be fully compliant with the state directives,” Édouard de Rothschild, the president of France Galop, said in a statement yesterday.

“Above all, we want to protect every-one from the pandemic, which is why we have suspended all race meetings. With this decision, the French horse racing industry also shows its solidarity and responsibility towards the whole nation.”