Marco Botti's family in Italy on front line of the coronavirus 'disaster'

Marco Botti says the coronavirus pandemic is a "disaster" and has urged people to stay home, with the trainer's extended family in Italy based in some of the areas worst affected by the outbreak.

Botti's father Alduino, who has been champion trainer in Italy for 30 seasons, is based in the centre of Milan where the virus continues to claim lives with the national death toll having reached 6,077 on Tuesday.

Despite what is going on around him, Botti snr is still managing to operate despite Italy being on lockdown since March 9.

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Marco Botti, who has trained in Newmarket since 2006, said: "Make no mistake, the coronavirus is a disaster in Italy and it'll be similar here if people don't do as they are told and stay indoors.

"My father trains at San Siro in Milan which is a very built-up area and there have been thousands of cases of the coronavirus there.

"Despite the lockdown, they're still training the horses at the premises but the lads now have to have their temperatures taken at the gate before they go into the yard. If any are high, and there have been some, my father takes no chances and sends them straight home."

Boris Johnson announced his strictest measures yet in Britain on Monday night and they are not too dissimilar to those imposed in Italy.

Botti added: "Here in Britain it looks like we are three weeks away from what happened in Italy. To combat that, people should listen to the prime minister and accept they can't have a normal social life. In Italy, perhaps they didn't take it seriously enough but we have a chance to do what's right.

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"Luckily, we can still train the horses and the lads and lasses are still coming in as normal, but people can't get together as they used to. It may be for a while but we've just got to get on with it."

Botti's brother Stefano is also a successful trainer in Italy. He is based in Pisa, an area which has not been as badly affected yet.

Racing is supposed to resume on April 2 in Italy. However, Botti believes that looks highly unlikely.

Botti added: "Stefano has a private training centre just outside Pisa which makes things a bit easier but he's still taking all the precautions.

"They say they are supposed to resume racing over there on April 2 but that is only Thursday of next week so I can't see that happening. It may well be many months."

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