Horse racing in the United Kingdom is nearing a return following a postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic. The sport has continued running in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, and now the UK could be ready to bring it back. The UK horse racing season would be at the mid-point of the jumps season but the postponement has seen a number of top race festivals cancelled. The Grand National is one of the biggest horse racing festivals to be put on hold, however, there is still hope that Roya Ascot could go ahead in June. You can get the odds for your horse racing bets ahead of the races along with betting tips, reviews, and bonuses.
While the jumps season was thrown into chaos by the coronavirus pandemic, there is hope for the flat racing season. The flat racing season was to begin in April, but was pushed back. It could now be set to begin in May or June.
In France, plans for the resumption of horse racing have been put in place. The country will allow horse racing events in May with races held behind closed doors and limited numbers of staff, jockeys, trainers, and other personnel. The United States has allowed select racecourses around the country to remain open. Tracks in Florida and Nebraska have been the epicentres of the world’s horse racing over the last month. The American state of Kentucky’s government has given permission to famed racecourse Churchill Downs to re-open in May.
Although UK horse racing has been suspended indefinitely, there is a belief that sporting events held behind closed doors could take place in the coming weeks. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has said they are working on a plan to resume events as soon as possible.
The BHA previously claimed it wants to resume flat horse racing in May. It will need government permission to do so, however. There are a number of sports and businesses around the UK working toward some kind of resumption.
The first four Classics of the UK racing season were postponed in early April. The Derby and Oaks at Epsom, the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas were all postponed. Royal Ascot is still up in the air although it was claimed it could go ahead just a few weeks ago.
Royal Ascot is one of the biggest flat racing events of the year. The horse race meeting attracted around 300,000 attendees in 2019. Having such a large crowd at this time would be potentially dangerous. The Cheltenham Festival was highly criticised for continuing on just before the UK went on coronavirus lockdown.
It is believed daily races could resume by the beginning of June behind closed doors. France’s decision to allow horse racing to continue without spectators could prompt the BHA and UK government to come to some kind of an agreement. The Premier League’s rumoured return in June could also lead to a return to the horse racetrack. Horse racing contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy and a return of the sport could help stimulate the country’s financial health.
