Racing returns

Racing returns

27 May 2020

HORSE racing is set to return to Downpatrick — but behind closed doors.

It has been confirmed that a meeting at Downpatrick has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 15.

It’s traditionally the Family Day meeting and would normally attract one of the biggest attendants of the year.

Instead there will be less than a couple of hundred people at the course as the meeting will take place under lockdown conditions.

Another meeting is scheduled for Down Royal on July 24.

Downpatrick’s last meeting was the prestigious Ulster National meeting on March 22.

Racecourse manager Richard Lyttle said it was a very different race day experience than would normally be the case.

“In normal circumstances we would have had a large crowd, since it is our flagship meeting of the year,” he said.

“Only industry officials, jockeys and trainers were allowed to attend, so we had around 150 people there in total.”

Commenting on the return of racing, he said: “It is great to see the resumption of Irish racing in June. It will help boost the entire thoroughbred industry.

“We very much understand that racing will be behind closed doors for the foreseeable future and will work diligently to comply with the very strict protocols put in place to ensure the safety of all those attending.”

The July date was announced by the Board of Horse Racing Ireland, which met recently and agreed a number of fixtures for the return of race meetings.

The first meeting is at Naas on June 8, with National Hunt racing resuming at Limerick on June 22.

For the first three weeks, racing will be restricted to nine racecourses which are more centrally located to minimise travel distances and which also have higher stable capacities given the requirement for one stable per horse under the new protocols.

All the fixtures will take place under the strict protocols published by Horse Racing Ireland.

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said: “We are grateful to everybody for the patience they have shown during this very difficult time and we will provide every opportunity for essential personnel to fully understand and implement the return to racing protocols. 

“We expect there to be significant demand for horses to run once we resume, and we will aim to provide opportunities across the spectrum of age, gender and ability.

“We will have missed 11 weeks’ racing which will take some time to catch up. We intend to do this over the course of the rest of the year rather than immediately.

Meanwhile, golf has returned after a two-month lockdown.

The Stormont Executive gave clubs the green light to open up last week subject to strict guidelines. Clubhouses remained closed and no visitors are permitted.

Tennis clubs have also been given permission to re-open, again subject to protocols being put into operation.

However, other sports remain shut down. 

Restrictions on Gaelic games are likely to stay in place until July 20 and there will be no inter-county games until October at the earliest.

The start to the cricket season has been delayed, but this week the Northern Cricket Union said it hoped to be in a position soon to announce the first step in a return to training.