BHA Working on Plan to Allow Phased Return of Owners

British racing resumed behind closed doors on June 1, and now, with these first weeks back going well and in accordance with the UK government’s safety protocols, the British Horseracing Authority is working on a template to allow owners to observe their horses race on location. In a letter sent to racehorse owners on Monday by the BHA, the BHA’s Chief Operating Officer Richard Wayman thanked the owners for their support in these challenging times due to the coronavirus situation and outlined plans for their return in the near future. The letter reads in part:

“I want to thank owners for your continued patience and understanding during a very difficult period for our sport. You’ve shown incredible loyalty and I know how disappointing it is that you haven’t been able to watch your horses run.

“In the early stages of resumption, we have had to limit racecourse attendance to only the very minimum number of attendees with essential functional roles. This has enabled us to embed the new safety protocols in raceday operations and give participants time to adjust to different ways of working.

“Nonetheless, we have stated repeatedly that owners are integral to racing, and that getting you back onto the racecourse is an absolute priority as soon as it is safe and practicable to do so.

“We’ve been working on a phased, risk-managed plan, that adheres to the necessary safety protocols, including social distancing. We expect to have specific proposals ready to share very soon–and look forward to welcoming owners back onto the racecourse.”

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Scottish Racing To Resume On June 22

Racing in Scotland will resume behind closed doors on June 22 with a meeting at Ayr. It will be the first meeting held in Scotland since a spectator-free card at Kelso on Mar. 16. Racing is Scotland’s second-most attended sport, supporting 3,400 full-time equivalent jobs and generating over £300 million annually for the Scottish economy.

Nick Rust, chief executive of the BHA, said, “I am very pleased that Scottish racing is returning safely from next Monday at Ayr racecourse, ensuring that our truly nationwide sport can resume in line with the protocols which have been working well since our resumption at Newcastle on June 1. It is a sign of horse racing’s preparedness that we are the first major sport to return in Scotland as the recovery from COVID-19 continues. We are extremely grateful for the support of the Scottish government in enabling this risk-managed return.”

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BHA Shortens Declarations to 48-Hour Window

All flat races will return to 48-hour declarations from Wednesday, June 24, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Wednesday. Declarations to run on June 24 must be made by 10 a.m. on June 22. For jumps racing, 48-hour declarations have also been put in place beginning on Wednesday, July 1, so declarations must be made by June 29. Due to the coronavirus, declarations had previously been required 72 hours before a race.

The BHA’s statement read in part, “This change is only possible due to the support of trainers and other raceday attendees in supplying accurate and timely information to support the new and revised safety and infection control protocols, including the medical screening.

“We ask that you continue to support this effort as we return to 48hr declarations, so that the system can work smoothly and efficiently.”

There will still be additional information required of trainers after declarations have closed, including the Online Transport and Declaration Form, as specified in the BHA’s COVID-19 guidelines and operating procedures. For more information please go to www.britishhorseracing.com.

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Watson Runner Withdrawn After Staff Failed Temperature Check

Jam And Mam (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was prevented from running at Doncaster on Sunday after one of the members of staff travelling with the horse failed a temperature check. Strict protocols in place on racecourses since the resumption of racing in Britain in June 1 mean all individuals attending a fixture must pass a temperature check, with a threshold of 37.8C. The Archie Watson-trained 3-year-old had been due to run in division one of the Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider H.

A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority said, “Following arrival at the course, one of the members of staff travelling with Jam And Mam failed to meet the screening requirements to enter. In order to ensure that behind closed doors racing is as safe and secure an environment as possible for all attendees and minimise any risk of spreading Covid-19, those travelling with the horse were not able to enter the racecourse and as such the horse was declared a non-runner.

“This is in accordance with the protocols developed with organisations from across the racing industry, which are designed to safeguard the health of all those attending.”

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