Crunch decision on whether Irish racing can continue to be made on Wednesday

A decision on whether Irish racing will continue behind closed doors will be made at a Horse Racing Ireland board meeting on Wednesday at 1pm.

HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said the meeting, which will be held by conference call, was already scheduled and the five fixtures which have been held behind closed doors since Friday will be reviewed.

The BHA made the decision to cancel racing until the end of April on Tuesday morning, but the Irish authorities have not followed that course of action yet and Kavanagh said they will consider the situation with the objective of continuing racing.

Kavanagh said: "There is a HRI board meeting scheduled to take place at 1pm on Wednesday by conference call and we'll take stock of everything in that. We'll review the five fixtures which have already been held behind closed doors and see if it's working.

"It is a day-by-day operation. The objective is to continue racing if at all possible. We’ve had encouragement to do that from the government. We are conscious that jobs are being lost left, right and centre and we want to do everything possible to prevent that. Safety and health simply have to come first, though."

Jockey Club Racecourses made the decision to cancel the three-day Randox Health Grand National meeting on Monday but Kavanagh said no decision on the BoyleSports-sponsored Irish equivalent at Fairyhouse, on April 13, will be made until later this month. Similar comments apply to the Punchestown festival which is due to commence on April 28.

Kavanagh said: "We’re not focusing on any individual meetings at the moment. The Irish Grand National is over three weeks away and a lot will depend on government instructions, as well as the situation with sponsors, insurance and various other issues.

Irish Grand National: Fairyhouse's big meeting may not go aheadCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

"We'll have to look and see whether we need the full programmes in due course. There's no playbook for this sort of situation, these are unprecedented circumstances. We are dealing with a lot of speculation, but we'll take stock of everything."

Michael Grassick, chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, has said that stable staff and trainers must stay away from yards and racecourses if they are not feeling well.

Grassick said: "Trainers have been in touch for advice regarding various issues, including employment procedures and so on for staff if they have to be laid off or self-isolate. The advice is for the staff or the trainers themselves not to turn up or go racing if they aren't well.

"For the staff going racing, we're recommending now that they bring a flask or sandwiches, whatever they need, and to keep away from each other at the races.

"I've asked some of the racecourses to allow the jockeys to drive the cars in so that between races they can go out to the car and I've asked for similar allowances for the trainers, where it's possible. If they have a runner in the first and the fifth, for example, they can go out and sit in the car rather than congregating."

Grassick added co-operation with the current guidelines that are in place is key to racing continuing behind closed doors.

"Trainers are worried for their staff but also they're worried that racing will be called off. That's the big concern at the moment, so everybody is doing their best to co-operate with the guidelines from the government,” Grassick said.

He added: "And at the end of the day, horses need to be looked after, whether they're racing or not, and that's important. People need to realise that – they're animals, not merchandise. That's all the more reason why everyone needs to co-operate."

Grassick also admitted trainers are reporting owners taking their horses out of stables and stressed this is having a knock-on effect on the industry.

Racing at Down Royal on Tuesday: could this be the last Irish fixture for a while?Credit: Patrick McCann

He said: "Some trainers are reporting that owners have been taking horses home and roughing them off, and obviously the more that happens, the more it's going to put jobs at risk.

"For a lot of owners, their own business is gone, so now they're faced with the question of trying to pay for horses when they aren't in work themselves. It's a knock-on effect."

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