Coronavirus
The Japan Racing Association (JRA) has announced that, though racing will continue to take place at its tracks, spectators will not be allowed access to racecourses from Saturday. Feb. 29 until further notice in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus. As of Thursday morning, there had been seven deaths from COVID-19 in Japan. The JRA's decision follows news on Wednesday that racing in Korea has been suspended from Feb. 28 to Mar. 9. A statement on the JRA website reads, "In measures to prevent the spread of the...
The Korea Racing Authority has suspended racing across all of South Korea due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Alastair Middleton of Horseracing in Korea reported. The countries three tracks--Seoul, Busan and Jeju will not race as scheduled, as their meetings have been postponed from Feb. 28-Mar. 8. The following meetings have been suspended: 28: Busan/Jeju 29: Seoul/Jeju 1: Seoul/Busan 6: Busan/Jeju 7: Seoul/Jeju 8: Seoul/Busan The situation will be re-evaluated by the KRA on Mar. 9.
The British Horseracing Authority is prepared to act--if the need arises--regarding any potential coronavirus impact on fixtures, including the Cheltenham Festival. BHA chief executive Nick Rust has confirmed an industry steering group is in place to consider the implications of the virus. Rust, speaking on a Betfair podcast, said, "We have an industry group in place that has been and continues to work on the potential impact of the coronavirus on the horse racing industry as a whole. "The BHA executive met with the team at Cheltenham Racecourse on Monday...
Racing continues Saturday with a 10-race program at Sha Tin, even as the coronavirus outbreak that has its origins in Mainland China is causing some major contingency planning by officials at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Over the last few weeks, attendance at live meetings at Sha Tin in the New Territories to the north and at Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island to the south has been restricted to those with pre-existing reservations, with public areas closed. The Chinese New Year racecard at Sha Tin, which normally attracts...
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Hong Kong Jockey Club revealed as part of a statement on Tuesday that it is "critically considering a further reduction of on-site participation by our customers" from Saturday. Meetings at Hong Kong's two racecourses, Sha Tin and Happy Valley, have been staged in recent weeks under partial lockdown, meaning that only owners, horse people, racecourse staff and patrons with existing hospitality bookings were permitted on-course. New hospitality bookings at the two racecourses have been suspended effective immediately. On the same day that Hong...
In an unprecedented move owing to the outbreak of coronavirus in mainland China, officials at the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced Friday that it would go ahead with Monday's Chinese New Year card at Sha Tin, but that attendance would be restricted to in an effort to "strengthen hygiene protection," according to a release from the Club. Apart from essential parties, i.e. trainers, owners, jockeys, HKJC officials, only those who have booked a prior reservation at racecourse restaurants will be admitted to the track. All customers will receive temperature screenings...