It's calm after the storm at Middleham but hopes are not high for a quick return

It is unusually quiet in this racing town but do not start thinking that has anything to do with the equine flu outbreak that has silenced the country's racetracks.

Neither staff nor customers at the shop in the centre say it is anything other than business as usual and although there are fewer hooves than normal heard on Middleham's streets this morning and fewer gallopers seen on its moor, that is because of something even a Yorkshireman cannot defy – the weather.

Storm Erik has brought gale force winds, just another obstacle in the path of Ben Haslam, whose yard in the shadow of Middleham Castle is among those under official 'lockdown'.

"With this weather we're having a quietish day, otherwise we'd be exercising as normal," he said. "You'd have seen every string on the moor.

"We haven't been advised not to go on the gallops and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be there. If I hadn't been on lockdown and another stable was I'd have no problem with them being on the gallops."

Haslam was notified of his confined status – due to having four runners at Newcastle on Tuesday – less than 24 hours earlier and moved as fast as the in-form horses that had given him four winners in eight days when racing ground to a halt.

"When the BHA rang me to tell me, we swabbed them and my wife Alice drove down overnight to Newmarket and delivered the swabs at 7.00 this morning," said a trainer who is keen to get back racing.

"I think it's a bit of a storm in a teacup, in that this is a disease they are vaccinated against – we have to be careful as to how excited we all get about it. It's something that will naturally go through these horses."

Yet he fears that storm in a teacup may blow racing into touch for a little longer and said: "We've gone down the line which is inevitably going to take a long time, to make sure every yard is clear, which we've never had to do before.

"There's absolutely no way racing will be on next week because the backlog at the Animal Health Trust is enormous and they're testing over 100 yards."

Across town, fellow trainer Micky Hammond is just as doubtful of any swift return to action.

"I'd be mightily surprised if we were back racing on Wednesday and most people in the industry would be as well," he said.

"I think the way the BHA is handling it is right and if we do require a shut down of racing for a week or two to get on the right side of it, that would have my full support."

While Haslam bemoans the two 'good chances' on the all-weather that got away as Newcastle was off on Friday night, Hammond points to the irony that racing should be off just as the jumps ground was coming right.

"From Boxing Day onwards it did nothing but dry up and then we had cold, frostier weather and it was only Wednesday that we were able to get on the grass for the first time in the best part of a fortnight," he said.

A quiet Saturday morning at Micky Hammond's yard in MiddlehamCredit: David Carr

Nobody can tell how long Britain will be without racing, which is just as much of a worry for Middleham's other businesses, including the pubs. Ask Ken Ward, who has been landlord of the Richard III and the Dante Arms for six years.

"It's a concern for us," said Ward. "It's quiet this morning but it hasn't kicked in properly yet as it's only been a short time – we're thinking long term and listening to people talking.

"We've had pubs for 12 years and we got through the recession but it's the uncertainty that's the worry."

Pub landlord Ken Ward is worried about the uncertainty surrounding racingCredit: David Carr

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