British Horseracing Authority welcome government announcement but say work still to be done

The British Horseracing Authority have welcomed the government's roadmap for easing lockdown and sporting restrictions but say there is still a long way to go.

Horse racing has been continuing behind closed doors, with weather being the reason for the cancellation of the last few meetings at Huntingdon.

The BHA said: "The whole sport has worked hard to abide by our race-day protocols to allow racing to continue behind closed doors and support the many livelihoods that depend on our industry.

“We have already introduced additional measures to reduce the risks of transmission  and we will now engage with government to highlight our ability to move beyond the current limitation on essential staff only as soon as that is possible."

Talks with the government will also broach the subject of pilot events to help spectators back to the sport.

They added: “Whilst the publication of dates is a very positive sign, the absence of spectators from our big events is continuing to put a strain on racing’s revenues.

"This has been exacerbated by the closure of betting shops and our financial discussions with government are ongoing.”