BHA strikes confident tone before Government green light for Monday resumption at Newcastle

Inside information has been one of the British Horseracing Authority’s bêtes noires since the arrival of betting exchanges but, after weeks and months of doubt about the resumption of the sport behind closed doors, the tone of its statement welcoming back racing at Newcastle on Monday suggests a little bird has told it something.

In the continued absence of any official announcement from the Government, a statement from the BHA said it is now "counting down the hours to the return of racing … the long break is nearly over.”

It would be almost unfathomable to think that this far down the line and after all the effort, time and money put into the resumption of racing that the Government will merely leave the traffic lights on amber and sport in abeyance beyond the date, June 1, which it indicated would be possible.

“We are looking forward to official confirmation from the UK government after it has published its guidelines for the resumption of sport in the next day or so,” the BHA statement continued.

“This morning we’ve been busy processing the declarations received for Newcastle on June 1 and we are now implementing our new medical screening procedures to ensure we safeguard those who plan to be there on Monday for racing’s return.”

It was also busy elsewhere on Friday at Lingfield which was hosting the its second dry run-throughs of the protocols or ‘operational planning day’ as they have been named. The first one took place on Wednesday, when a series of short instructional films about the new procedures was mad. Yesterday ‘races’ were run from the stalls.

“They were designed to assist in ensuring our processes have been sufficiently worked through on the ground ahead of Monday with both equine and human participants present,” said a spokesman.

All 10 races at Newcastle have attracted a maximum 12 runners and, while they will probably be over-looked this side of the Channel, the first major European Classics of the season take place at Deauville on Monday when the French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas take place.

They are, not surprisingly, domestic affairs. There are nine declared for the colt’s race and although one, Reshabar, is trained by the former German footballer Markus Munch, he now trains in Chantilly.

The fillies’ classic does, at least, boast a British owned runner in the Andre Fabre trained Tropbeau who belongs to Lady Bamford. Tropbeau is one of a dozen runners.