Welsh horse racing to resume from 15 June

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has reached an agreement with Welsh racecourses to resume racing in the country behind closed doors from 15 June, following a three-month suspension due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Racing will initially only take place at Chepstow racecourse, with meetings set to take place on 15, 23 and 30 June, as well as 3 and 9 July, according to a revised fixture list published by the BHA.

However, from 12 July, Bangor-on-Dee will be added to the calendar as part of the summer jumps season that begins in July, while Ffos Las will also reopen in October.

All British racing had been on hold from mid-March due to the Covid-19 crisis, but racing in England recommenced yesterday (1 June) after the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport approved the return of professional sports in England.

The BHA last month published a revised fixture list for the return of racing in England, while plans are also in place for races to start up again in Scotland later this month.

As part of the resumption of racing, the BHA developed new guidelines aimed at keeping all those involved with racing safe, and Welsh races will be run in line with these measures.

“I’m delighted to see the return of racing in Wales at Chepstow next month as ensuring 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,” BHA chief executive Nick Rust said.

“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.”

Executive director at Chepstow and Ffos Las racecourses Phil Bell added: “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 challenge and getting back to work.”