UK Racing to Receive More Aid From British Government

The UK Government will give the UK racing industry £21 million in loan support to help ease the financial fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Other spectator sport industries to benefit from this latest round of financial aid from the Sport Winter Survival Package are the rugby league, speedway and drag racing and football clubs from the top six tiers of the National League system. In November, it was announced that British racing would receive £40 million in government loans as part of the £300 million Sport Winter Survival Package.

“The funding will ensure essential race-day integrity costs and related health and safety expenditure are safeguarded, enabling the Levy Board to continue their programme of financial support and funding into the industry which has suffered considerably as a result of Covid-19,” the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport England said.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said, “We promised to stand by and protect our major spectator sports when we had to postpone fans returning. Through our sport survival package and existing business support schemes, we have helped hundreds of clubs to survive this difficult winter period.

“As the turnstiles begin to open over the coming weeks, players, staff and fans across the country can now look forward to a full return to action with confidence.”

Chair of the Independent Levy Board Sir Ian Cheshire added, “Following the Government's announcement that a further £300m of sport survival funding has been made available, the Independent Board will now focus on getting this funding to those summer spectator sports in most urgent need.”

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NYRA Continuing Efforts to Bring Back Spectators

The New York Racing Association issued a statement Wednesday regarding it ongoing efforts to welcome fans back for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse meets. Horse and auto racing were omitted from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's guidance last week relating to reopening sporting events to the public in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

“Governor Cuomo's decision to expand capacity limits for sports fans beginning this April is incredibly positive news as we look toward the spring and summer,” said NYRA's Pat McKEnna. “NYRA will work closely with the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Gaming Commission to secure the requisite approvals to welcome fans back to Belmont Park this spring and to Saratoga Race Course this summer. As COVID-19 cases continue to decline and vaccines become more widely available, we are optimistic that capacity limits will increase in the coming months.

“NYRA has conducted live racing for the past eight months without the energy and excitement that the fans bring, and we have missed them dearly during this time. We look forward to turning the page, and opening the doors to these historic venues in the very near future.

“Considering the size and scope of the COVID-19 vaccination site on the first floor of Aqueduct Racetrack, where New York State will soon be distributing more than 4,000 doses per day, NYRA hopes to re-open Aqueduct to spectators in the fall of 2021.”

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Tattersalls Online March Sale Concludes on Tuesday

Bidding began for the Tattersalls Online March Sale on Mar. 22 and will remain open until the first lot closes at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, with successive lots closing in two minute intervals. Among the 30 lots is the final Brittas House Stud dispersal, featuring the Galileo (Ire) mare Zee Zee Gee (GB) (lot 6), herself a daughter of Group 1 winner Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic). Her 2020 filly by No Nay Never is offered as lot 5. Brittas also consigns lot 4, We Are Ninety (Ire) (Thewayyouare), with her Calyx (GB) filly of 2021.

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‘This Is About To Become A Crisis’: COVID Restrictions May Affect Woodbine’s Opening Day

Opening day at Woodbine Racecourse is scheduled for April 17, 2021. However, the Thoroughbred Daily News reports that the Ontario track is currently designated a coronavirus “Grey Zone,” where racing is among the activities that is not allowed. This is the same restriction that forced the track to close two weeks early at the end of 2020.

“I am very concerned and this is about to become a crisis for us,” Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson told the TDN. “It's a crisis because soon there will be 2,000 people back there looking after these horses. If these people lose their jobs, there's nothing else that they can do. Especially after I had heard from trainers that may not come back, I am trying to impress upon people that we are on the cusp of a very big problem that could do irreparable damage to us as a business. We will need some answers very soon as to whether or not we can make an Apr. 17 opener.”

The Woodbine backstretch is open and horses are able to train; it is the afternoon racing which is currently restricted by the provincial government.

“We have made the argument all along that this is an outdoor activity and we wouldn't be allowing spectators,” Lawson said. “Our risk profile in the afternoon is the same as our risk profile in the morning. We should be able to run.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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