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'We were entering a dark tunnel that day' - the story of racing's Covid shutdown

David Carr talks to those at the centre of events 12 months ago

The last race before the shutdown takes place at Wetherby on Tuesday
The last race in Britain for two and a half long months takes place at Wetherby on March 17, 2020Credit: Alex Livesey (Getty Images)

Last Wednesday marked a sombre first anniversary: exactly one year previously, on March 17, 2020, racing came to a stop in Britain after meetings at Taunton and Wetherby.

The BHA imposed a shutdown as the coronavirus pandemic took a grip on the country – and on Ireland, which was soon to follow suit.

It would be June 1, two and a half months later, before we got a resumption in Britain, with Ireland again following soon after on June 8.

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Published on 20 March 2021inFeatures

Last updated 16:55, 21 March 2021

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