PRESS RELEASE: Monday 1st June
Return of Horseracing in Wales Confirmed
Welsh courses and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are pleased to announce the resumption of racing behind closed doors in Wales. The first fixture is scheduled for Monday 15th June at Chepstow racecourse.
Initially, racing at Welsh courses will just be recommencing at Chepstow with no spectators able to attend. Bangor-on-Dee will resume as part of the summer Jumps season which begins in July, and Ffos Las will reopen in October.
As the sport’s regulator, the BHA has released protocols for racing behind closed doors, which includes specific guidance for the racing industry to help safeguard the health of employees and participants in a controlled and managed return to racing.
The procedures apply to everyone attending race meetings, and their employers, who will need to comply with the new and revised procedures and protocols in place.
The guidelines detail who is permitted to attend the racecourse during these early stages of resumption. All are subject to a three-stage screening process, including an online education test, a health questionnaire and temperature checks on arrival. Social distancing officers on racecourses will ensure compliance with Welsh government regulations around social distancing.
Chief Executive of the BHA, Nick Rust said: “I’m delighted to see the return of racing in Wales at Chepstow next month as ensuring that racing gets back up and running in all three nations of Britain has been a priority of the BHA in recent weeks as we look to maintain our nationwide footprint, and provide opportunities for trainers based in devolved administrations.
The focus of our plans is on returning safely and I believe the public can be reassured by the measures we have put in place. Our participants have made sure they understand all that will be asked of them when they attend a meeting. Their priority, like ours, is to ensure continued observance of social distancing rules and prevent the virus spreading.
I hope this is a vital first step towards a complete return for our industry in Wales, and we look forward to returning to race at Ffos Las, and Bangor-on-Dee later in 2020.
Executive Director at Chepstow and Ffos Las Racecourses, Phil Bell, said: "We are delighted to welcome the return to racing in Wales. There will be a lot of work to do for everyone to adapt the way we run race meetings and meet the stringent safety requirements that have been set out by BHA but we are very much looking forward to meeting the challenging and getting back to work"
Welsh Racehorse Trainer, David Evans, said: “I am very pleased to see the return of racing at my local track, Chepstow Racecourse, and will be keen to support the behind closed doors meetings held there in the coming months.’
‘Ahead of racing’s return, I am impressing upon my staff the importance of familiarising themselves with both the Welsh government guidelines, and the protocols for behind closed doors racing produced by the BHA, and I call on fellow members of the training community to do the same in order to ensure we return as safely as possible.’
Notes to Editors:
The scheduled fixtures for racing behind closed doors until the end of August in Wales, are shown below:
Date Day Racecourse Code
15/06/2020 Mon Chepstow Flat
23/06/2020 Wed Chepstow Flat
30/06/2020 Sun Chepstow Flat
03/07/2020 Fri Chepstow Flat
09/07/2020 Thu Chepstow Flat
12/07/2020 Sun Bangor-on-Dee Jumps
17/07/20 Fri Chepstow Flat
21/07/20 Tue Chepstow Flat
29/07/20 Wed Bangor-on-Dee Jumps
01/08/20 Sat Chepstow Flat
14/08/20 Fri Chepstow Flat
15/08/20 Sat Chepstow Flat
20/08/20 Thu Chepstow Flat
25/08/20 Tue Bangor-on-Dee Jumps
26/08/20 Wed Chepstow Flat
• Across 3 racecourses, 20 licensed training yards and various breeding operations, Welsh racing generates economic activity totalling tens of millions of pounds annually in Wales and supports a significant number of jobs across the country.
• Racing is a non-contact sport taking place outdoors and has already returned or continued safely behind closed doors in Germany, Australia and the United States.
• To view the BHA’s latest update on its resumption of racing plans, which includes the sport’s detailed protocols for a behind closed doors return, please click here.
• In a statement made by a Welsh government spokesperson to BBC Sport earlier on today around the return of behind closed doors sport in Wales, the Welsh government said "The resumption of professional sports behind closed doors is allowed under our regulations, including horse racing, and we are working closely with governing bodies to develop an overall approach for the safe return of all sport."
For further information, please contact Phil Bell on pbell@arenaracingcompany.co.uk, or telephone 01291 622 260 / 07703 193 321.
