Racecourse Association

The British government on Friday morning withdrew permission for Goodwood Racecourse to host 5,000 spectators on Saturday as part of a pilot project for the return of fans to sporting events. A joint statement from the British Horseracing Authority, the Racecourse Association and Goodwood said it is believed the cancellation of the event is due to concerns about the national infection rate of coronavirus and is not a reflection of any concerns about Goodwood or the measures taken there. Racing will take place on Saturday behind closed doors. David Armstrong,...

Some spectators will be allowed to attend the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Aug. 1 as part of a pilot test of crowds at sporting events organized by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Attendance will initially be offered to Goodwood annual members and their guests. People onsite, including spectators and participants, will be capped at 5,000. The Racecourse Association said Goodwood was chosen as an appropriate location for the pilot because it is in a "rural setting with a low prevalence rate of the...

Owners will be able to start attending race meetings in a safe and risk-managed way in the UK on July 4, under plans agreed by the Racecourse Assocation (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the BHA announced on Monday. There will be two test fixtures-July 1 at Southwell and Kempton Park-to pilot protocols and allow for a thorough review of the processes in place to facilitate a smooth implementation, with guidelines to help owners adjust to new protocols and procedures available here. Owners will be...

The British government released its timeline for the potential resumption of sporting events on Monday, and in its Our Plan to Rebuild, cultural and sporting events conducted behind closed doors-like racing-are part of the second step of lifting the current coronavirus restrictions and would resume no earlier than June 1. The news was welcomed by British horseracing's executive committee comprised of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the Racecourse Association, The Racehorse Owners' Association and the National Trainers Federation, who are "committed to plan for resumption on June 1st," according to...

A COVID-19 response plan for the UK racing industry was published on Monday by the industry group coordinating the response and liaising with the UK government. The purpose of the operational plan is to protect the health of British racing's people, horses, and businesses during the pandemic and have a blueprint in place for the earliest possible resumption of racing and a strong recovery once racing has begun again. It also outlines the range of activities, led by the industry's COVID-19 Group, to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic....

Following the temporary shutdown of racing in the UK on Monday due to the coronavirus, industry leaders from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA), National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) met Thursday morning to work on an assessment of immediate needs and identify funding available from government and industry sources as a priority. This is a change in the industry's coronavirus plan from allowing racing to continue behind closed doors. The BHA is also liaising with key departments in the government to ensure they...