Monday Catch Up

Well I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend all things considered?  We did have some racing from the US and at Sha Tin to watch and have a flutter if that is something you are interested in but today there really is nothing!  We have reduced our staff team to the minimum we can manage with, so everyone that is left are all in today riding out.  As I have mentioned before, we are keeping a small group of horses going in preparation for when/if racing resumes.  It is great that there is some proactive work going on behind the scenes to make a plan to get some sort of action back on as soon as we are allowed to.  While it is not necessarily looking like it will benefit the jumps trainers at this stage we have got to try and start somewhere as we realise things are not going to be 'normal' for some time yet.  When you read the newspapers or watch the News anything resembling normality in life in general certainly seems a long way off.

The plans for a return to racing action concern a plan of having three regional racing hubs with race programming concentrating on getting action back a week at a time at the beginning of May if the government allows.  If means there would be a racecourse, or racecourses in the South, Midlands and North to ensure as minimal travel as possible for everyone concerned.  The focus has been on racecourses that have hotels so that jockeys and officials could possibly stay, reducing movement.  The only different course being considered without a hotel in Newmarket where obviously being a big training centre, everyone could be dropped at the course and return home easily afterwards.  The plans are being put together with the aim of minimising any impact on the NHS.  Possible extras to help this being considered are reduced field size numbers and the use of more experienced jockeys in races.  The group behind these plans are in talks with private ambulances and retired doctors to cover the race days.  It seems they have a good basis from which racing could be able to resume at the beginning of May should things outside of our sport be in a position to allow this to happen.

All races which had early closing entries have been scrapped and even big races such to the Qipco 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas have reverted to entries being at the six day stage.  I think trainers will be ready to go at a moments notice should they need to be so it was a good idea to do this to the entries.  Let's just hope people continue to be strict and stay at home and as a Nation we can come together and beat this Coronavirus.  Stay home and stay safe everyone.

 What starts with an E and ends with an E but only has one letter in it?  Envelope!  Have a nice day.