COVID-19
Racing Welfare in conjunction with Great British Racing (GBR), the Tote and Sky Sports Racing, have launched the 2021 edition of the pop idol competition, Furlong Factor. Introduced last season, the competition is free to enter and first prize is £1,500 in cash and a trophy from Inkerman London. All funds raised from the Furlong Factor will go toward Racing Welfare's Lost Events Appeal. Entries close Apr. 21. To enter, contestants are asked to record themselves singing into their phone and email their videos to communications@racingwelfare.co.uk or send in by...
Tattersalls Ireland announced the cancellation of the February NH Sale, which had been scheduled for Apr. 7. Despite exploring all possible options to hold the sale safely, Tattersalls Ireland was informed by the Department of Agriculture that staging a bloodstock sale in Ireland while facing the continuing effects of the pandemic would not be permitted. Lots catalogued for the February NH Sale will now be offered in conjunction with the yearling section of the November NH Sale. "We explored every avenue to hold the sale and to offer vendors the...
UK racing organisations welcomed the news that the racing industry would receive £21 million in loan support, which was announced late on Sunday evening. The loan is to assist with the continuing financial fallout due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA) and The Horsemen's Group released a joint statement in response on Monday morning. The statement read: "The leaders of British racing have welcomed the announcement that around £21 million of loan funding will be made available to the sport through the Sports...
The UK Government will give the UK racing industry £21 million in loan support to help ease the financial fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Other spectator sport industries to benefit from this latest round of financial aid from the Sport Winter Survival Package are the rugby league, speedway and drag racing and football clubs from the top six tiers of the National League system. In November, it was announced that British racing would receive £40 million in government loans as part of the £300 million Sport Winter Survival Package....
Churchill Downs will host a Norton Healthcare Vaccine Clinic for community members who are eligible per state guidelines and as supply is available. The public may now register for appointments to receive their first dose of vaccine. Appointment times are available Mar. 29 and 30 and Apr. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The second round of booster shots will be automatically scheduled for Apr. 19 and 20 and May 3. Vaccinations will take place at Churchill Downs Racetrack in the second floor clubhouse. Individuals meeting eligibility requirements (essential...
The New York Racing Association issued a statement Wednesday regarding it ongoing efforts to welcome fans back for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse meets. Horse and auto racing were omitted from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's guidance last week relating to reopening sporting events to the public in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. "Governor Cuomo's decision to expand capacity limits for sports fans beginning this April is incredibly positive news as we look toward the spring and summer," said NYRA's Pat McKEnna. "NYRA will work closely with...
NYRA has announced its COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys competing at the 2021 Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which will run Apr. 1 through Apr. 18. NYRA will continue to permit out of town jockeys to compete at Aqueduct during the 2021 spring meet. Those jockeys must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in New York State within 48 hours of the day they intend to compete at Aqueduct. Out of town jockeys will be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct. Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony...
Bidding began for the Tattersalls Online March Sale on Mar. 22 and will remain open until the first lot closes at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, with successive lots closing in two minute intervals. Among the 30 lots is the final Brittas House Stud dispersal, featuring the Galileo (Ire) mare Zee Zee Gee (GB) (lot 6), herself a daughter of Group 1 winner Zee Zee Top (GB) (Zafonic). Her 2020 filly by No Nay Never is offered as lot 5. Brittas also consigns lot 4, We Are Ninety (Ire) (Thewayyouare), with...
John and Thady Gosen will have their first runners under a joint licence on Saturday, Mar. 27, after announcing their imminent partnership earlier this year. Several horses, among them Haqeeqy (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the Doncaster Unibet Lincoln Heritage H., will step forward for the Clarehaven duo on Saturday. The news was first reported by the Racing Post. John Gosden told Racing Post, "It was always the plan to launch the dual-licence for the start of the Flat season and only delays on BHA modules due to Covid-19...
There are 177 juveniles catalogued for the Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze Up Sale, the sales company announced on Tuesday. The breezes will be held at Doncaster Racecourse on Apr. 20 beginning at noon local time. The sale is slated for Apr. 21-22 with sessions starting at 10 a.m. local time each day. Several Royal Ascot winners have been sourced from the sale in recent years, including G1 Princes Of Wales's S. hero My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill), G1 Commonwealth Cup S. winner Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), G2 Norfolk...
The Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 14. Tattersalls Ireland has taken this step due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and prevailing travel restrictions. The Tattersalls Ireland Select July Store Sale is slated for Thursday, July 15, and the remaining stores will be put under the hammer at the Tattersalls Ireland August NH Sale on Aug. 10-11. At this time, inspections for the various store sales are almost complete, and the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale remains as scheduled on June 23-24. "Naturally...
Based on increasing vaccine availability and declining COVID-19 numbers, The Stronach Group and TOC outlined new protocols at Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields to allow licensed owners more access to the grounds. SANTA ANITA PARK Mandatory Santa Anita protocols, including social distancing (a minimum of six feet), face cloths covering your nose and mouth, health screening, temperature check and wrist banding will continue to be enforced for everyone entering Santa Anita, including the Stable Area. Winner's Circle After each race, the winning horse will be brought into the...