After a long wait, we are delighted finally to be able to say that racing returns to Newmarket Racecourses this week. The enforced absence has been tough for all of us so it will be a tremendous thrill to be able to watch world-class horses competing at the Rowley Mile once again.
While we are excited to be delivering four days of racing this week, the sport’s return does not mean that things are back to normal; far from it. We are writing to you to ask that you do your part to ensure these are the first steps on the road to recovery and not a damaging false start. The industry is worth more than £4 billion to the economy and supports some 20,000, highlighting how crucial this period is for all of us.
Racing’s return has been given the go ahead thanks to extensive work with Government to ensure the lowest possible risk of transmission of the virus.
Key to this is our ability to provide a secure site, with access only for those who have undergone online training, satisfactorily answered a series of questions and had their temperature checked on arrival at the course. Inside, we will be taking every possible measure to ensure social distancing is maintained, along with the highest standards of personal hygiene and equipment cleanliness.
It is in these efforts that we need your support. We understand that watching the QIPCO Guineas Festival on television will be an unusual experience. We only wish that we could throw open our doors to everybody but that is not possible.
In order to best support the sport we all love, we are asking you to stay at home and enjoy the racing on Racing TV and ITV.
Please do not come to the Rowley Mile for any reason unless you are supposed to be joining us and have gone through the various stages of the entry procedure, and please do not attempt to gain entry to the site by any other means.
It is our shared responsibility to ensure racing’s return is a success and by staying away now, you will be doing your bit to ensure you can come back as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Amy Starkey, Regional Director, JCR East Region
Michael Prosser, Head of Racing
