racing with spectators | Horse Racing Free Tips

Only 474 spectators will be allowed at Warwick’s upcoming Monday pilot of racing with spectators, the course announced on Wednesday. Prior to this adjustment downward, the track had been planning for 800 spectators. One of The Jockey Club’s courses, Warwick had met with Public Health England which resulted in the spectator reduction. Racing resumed June 1 and, except for a pilot event at Doncaster last Wednesday, has been conducted without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Following discussions with local authorities and representatives, Warwick Racecourse will welcome up to 474 spectators at its Monday, Sept. 21 racing fixture as part of a limited capacity trial, with stringent health and safety measures in place for its first meeting since March,” said Warwick Racecourse in a statement. “The restricted capacity will be filled by 150 annual members, 124 hospitality bookers and up to 200 racehorse owners, in addition to participants and raceday staff. Tickets will not go on general sale given the limits involved.”

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden also offered an update via Twitter, tweeting, “Return of fans to sport update. Just held a collaborative and constructive meeting with major sports on the Oct. 1 review. There is mutual understanding of the need to get fans back in, while all acknowledging the very significant headwinds we face with the virus.

“The Government is conducting this review rapidly and will complete this work on the return of fans as soon as possible. This follows a meeting I held with the business events sector earlier this week as part of the review.”

The British Horseracing Authority issued a joint statement with other sporting bodies after the meeting with Dowden which read: “We conveyed to the Secretary of State the very serious financial situation now facing our sports, clubs and venues and that we believe we can stage events safely.

“It is clear that if fans cannot return soon that there will be very serious economic implications across our sporting sector.

“Our sports have already demonstrated through staging fixtures behind closed doors, in test events and through the return of recreational sport that we can deliver the very highest standards in safety and best practice.

“We will continue to engage with the Government in the days ahead and provide any further evidence required.”

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The Pertemps St Leger Festival at Doncaster is one of eight meetings that will be staged with crowds as part of stage five of the UK government’s plan to return spectators to elite sport, the Racecourse Association announced on Wednesday. Doncaster’s four-day Classic meeting from Sept. 9-12, a Sept. 21 Warwick fixture, and Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Meeting from Sept. 24-26 have all been greenlit to allow racegoers in limited fashion. In Doncaster’s case, a maximum of 3,640 spectators will be allowed on the first day, increasing to 6,202 for the final three days. Each course submitted a detailed risk assessment and operating plan to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, with these courses selected to provide “a detailed case study for other racecourse to follow.” These experimental events with spectators will also test the operating protocols set out by the Sports Ground Safety Authority.

Racing halted in mid-March and resumed on June 1 without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Owners were finally allowed back to UK racecourses since July 4, Derby Day at Epsom Downs. On-course bookmakers were also allowed back last week. There was an aborted attempt to allow spectators back at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented, “We are pleased to receive confirmation of our pilot events to welcome back crowds to racecourses and once again thank DCMS for entrusting the sport with this responsibility.

“Racecourses have been working for some time to this end and we are confident the events selected will provide strong case studies which will be of use to all.

“The disappointment of postponing our last confirmed pilot at Goodwood was felt across the sport, but the learnings and behind-the-scenes work have been of great value to others. Racing is ready to proceed in a safe manner and we are looking forward to once again welcoming crowds back to the racecourse.”

Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said, “We are delighted that the government and local authorities have taken the decision to allow us to pilot the return of a crowd at Doncaster Racecourse.

“We were very proud to host the return of racing behind closed doors at Newcastle at the beginning of June and are grateful to the government for showing confidence in us to host this event.

“As with all sport and other live events, welcoming a crowd is absolutely fundamental to our business as well as being the heart and soul of the spectacle. The team at Doncaster have worked incredibly hard on making sure that we have all of the steps in place to welcome a limited number of spectators in a safe and efficient manner and we are really looking forward to welcoming people back on site to enjoy four excellent days of racing.

“The event is, of course, a pilot so the experience may be different than customers may have got used to in previous years, but we are putting everything in to making sure that our customers can have an enjoyable afternoon’s racing as well as offering valuable feedback to the process of allowing crowds back to sporting events more generally.

“The impact of the national lockdown has been immense on the racing industry, as it has been to all sports and live events businesses. Whilst we have been delighted to get back to work behind closed doors, our industry and many others rely massively on crowds, so to get this pilot event is a huge step in the right direction for all of us.”

Wales and Scotland will continue to race without spectators. The British Horseracing Authority and the Arena Racing Company are discussing the issue of spectators with the Welsh government and Scottish racing is also in talks with the Scottish government on the same matter.

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