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UK Racing Raceday Covid Restrictions to Lift at The End of February

Plans for easing the remaining COVID-19 raceday restrictions were announced by British racing on Thursday. The weighing room resting requirements would lift by the end of February as a result. The provisional timetable agreed by the industry's COVID-19 Group is as follows:

From Monday, 28 Feb., Weighing Room attendees will no longer be expected to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test prior to entry.
From Monday, 14 Mar., racecourses will no longer be required to configure the Weighing Room complex for the purposes of COVID-19 infection control.

These changes are possible due to encouraging trends in both the national data and the BHA's pre-raceday testing, together with anticipated government announcements on self-isolation requirements–all of which help reduce the business continuity risk to racing. Weighing room access will continue to be restricted to essential personnel only. Anyone testing positive for or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should not enter the weighing room complex until they can demonstrate evidence of a negative test. Regular self-testing with lateral flow devices will still be encouraged for all weighing room personnel and raceday attendees, as will completing a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations, including the booster jab. Announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments on the easing of COVID rules, anticipated for early next week, are unlikely to delay racing's proposed timetable, but the final plans will be considered in line with government publications.

BHA Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Jerry Hill, said, “It is with cautious optimism that we are able to publish a provisional timetable for the removal of the remaining racecourse mitigations, starting with the testing requirement for Weighing Room entry.

“We are satisfied that the data continues to move in the right direction, and that with the UK Government likely to rescind the legal obligation to self-isolate, the risk of COVID-related disruption is further diminished.

“This decision is only possible thanks to the continued efforts of industry colleagues both on and off the racecourse, who have prioritised the health, wellbeing, and livelihood of others. It is through your collective efforts that we have thus far managed to avoid interruption to the racing schedule.

“We will of course continue to monitor the situation over the next few weeks. COVID has not gone away, and therefore racecourse attendees should continue to exercise the necessary vigilance: vaccination and regular testing are still highly advisable.”

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Survey to Help Future-Proof UK Racing Now Underway

Everyone working in or involved with the racing and breeding industry in Great Britain is encouraged to take part in an online questionnaire that will map industry activity with the aim of future-proofing racing, its organisations, and the livelihoods of its people, against immediate and long-term environmental challenges. The survey, which runs until Monday, Feb. 14, may be found here. Part of a joint initiative between the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), The Racing Foundation, The Horsemen's Group and the Racecourse Association (RCA), the survey is delivered in partnership with sustainability consultancy White Griffin.

In addition to the survey, there are also a series of focus group-style sessions already in progress, which seek to explore some of the environmental projects in greater detail and discuss the sustainability challenges and opportunities for racing. The engagement work is taking place online and, where possible through site visits. Additional sessions are being arranged for the coming weeks, with anybody interested in contributing to the project encouraged to contact: sustainability@britishhorseracing.com.

Rob Hezel, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said, “We knew before we started this scoping assessment into racing's progress on environmental sustainability that there was a huge amount of work already underway, but that this exercise would also help us identify gaps and further opportunities.

“Climate change presents major challenges for our industry and our hope is that by measuring and understanding where we are now, we can enable industry leaders to plan more effectively for the future. Gathering the initial information and data is crucial to this process, and therefore I encourage everyone to complete the questionnaire and help ensure we benefit from a comprehensive assessment.”

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Well-Being Survey Launched By British Racing

Wellbeing across the Horseracing Industry, a comprehensive survey to help inform a strategy dedicated to the welfare of the British Racing workforce, was launched on Tuesday.

The survey, which runs through May 16, is open to everyone working across the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry. Every individual who completes the survey, will receive a personalised well-being report to help improve how they feel, live and work. A Wellbeing Committee was also created, comprising a significant range of expertise across its membership, as well as a dedication towards improving further the overall health of the sport and its employees. The Wellbeing Committee consists of the following:

Simon Jones, Chair
Linda Bowles, HR Director and charity trustee
Kay Boyden, Director of Programmes, Racing Welfare
Lisa Hancock, Chief Executive, Injured Jockeys Fund
Jerry Hill, BHA Chief Medical Adviser
Will McConn, Sports Psychologist and joint author of the 2019 review and recommendations on mental health support in British Racing
Rishi Persad, Horseracing and sports broadcaster
Simone Sear, Director of Welfare, Racing Welfare

The committee, which will report to the People Board chaired by BHA Director Laura Whyte, will lead an industry-wide programme of work that brings together all the organisations that deliver support to the workforce, with well-being prioritised. A well-being strategy was identified as a priority within British Racing's COVID-19 recover plan published last summer. There will also be dedicated well-being workshops for leaders across British Racing and the completion of a comprehensive gap analysis of provision across key stakeholder bodies, are among priorities that have been delivered early in 2021.The Racing Foundation has provided funding support in this crucial area to date, which builds on their support of the groundbreaking 2019 report, 'A lifestyle rather than a job': a review and recommendations on mental health support within British Racing.

Wellbeing Committee Chair Simon Jones said, “I'm delighted to have been asked to Chair British Racing's Wellbeing Committee. In establishing this Committee, the BHA and the sport, working with the full range of stakeholders, has given the highest priority possible to a programme of work that puts the wellbeing of our workforce at the top of our sports agenda.

“The industry's Wellbeing Committee will oversee the delivery of excellence in wellbeing, development and pastoral support of our people, and contribute to the continued improvement in the health of our sport.”

BHA Chief Executive Julie Harrington added, “Staff wellbeing, across the full breadth of British racing, is a priority for decision-makers in our sport and will be critical to our recovery from the pandemic, and our growth in the future.

“I wish to thank Simon and his fellow Wellbeing Committee members for their commitment to this crucial area, which will be matched at the BHA as plans and policies are developed. This is a big opportunity for all employees, in every area of our sport, to have their voices heard, and I encourage everyone to complete the survey.”

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Clancy: Will Racing’s Public Trust Survive The Actions Of Bad Actors?

The start of 2021 hasn't been particularly positive for the sport of horse racing, acknowledges Joe Clancy, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred. A quartet of incidents stand out: the Gordon Elliott photo, the suspension of jockey Alexander Crispin over weight disparities, a trainer with 45 listed medication violations on the ballot for the Hall of Fame, and a horse with two failed drug tests earning an Eclipse Award.

Racing is “at some kind of crossroads, again or still depending on how you look at it,” Clancy wrote in a recent editorial.

“At its core, racing exists because of a public trust,” he continued. “Those outside the industry need to trust that the people inside the industry are doing the right things. The questions are pretty simple.”

Those questions the public should be able to ask of racing include: Are the horses well cared for? Is the wagering above board? Are rule-breakers penalized?

Looking at the 2021 actions of just the above four members of the racing industry, those questions become harder to answer. At the end of the day, Clancy wrote, the most important question is whether racing's public trust will survive the actions of the rule-breakers and bad actors.

“That's the most important question, and I can't answer it,” he concluded.

Read more at the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.

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