Bookmakers back move to keep racing moving

Closed-door meetings in Britain set for later in the week.

Bookmakers have stressed the importance of keeping racing going amid the coronavirus outbreak.

It was announced by the British Horseracing Authority on Sunday evening that racing in Britain is likely to take place behind closed doors later this week, a move that has already taken place in Ireland and Scotland, as well as in France, America and Dubai.

Simon Clare, PR director for Ladbrokes Coral, said: “It’s really important if possible to keep the racing show on the road, even if that is behind closed doors.

“You’ve got a horse population in training being paid for that obviously needs to run, but then racing derives significant revenues from betting – the levy, betting shop media rights and streaming, bet and watch online. They are three big revenues to racing, all of which comes from racing taking place.

“Racing has a big incentive to keep the sport going through what is an unprecedented and quite extraordinary situation.

“It feels like it could be feasible to keep some of the show on the road, because even if every fixture can’t take place a proportion will generate a significant part of the betting.

“We fully support the BHA’s approach and with most sports not taking place and a lot of people confined to home, the fact that racing is taking place will be one of the few leisure pursuits people will be able to enjoy and access during a dull and difficult time.”

While a continuation of racing behind closed doors would be considered far better than no racing at all, it will still have huge financial ramifications for the sport.

Speaking to Sky Sports Racing earlier in the day, Arena Racing Company boss Martin Cruddace was asked how serious the situation was for his company, which runs 16 British racecourses, including Uttoxeter, which staged the Midlands Grand National on Saturday.

He said: “It’s particularly serious, I think we can weather the storm, but it will mean that unless we have support elsewhere we will not be able to put the fixtures on that the industry or the bookmaking industry needs.

“I think viability of racecourses is seriously in question, unless as an industry we work together and find the support that I think might be out there.”

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