It wasn't the Cheltenham roar but it sounded sweet after months of silence

A midweek meeting on the all-weather would not usually attract attention but it was the scene of an all-important homecoming as spectators were finally able to return to the track for the first time.

With the exception of two pilot events at Warwick and Doncaster, racegoers have been missing from British courses since March and their absence has been keenly felt by racecourses, which for months have put on a show without any customers in the front-row seats.

It would be wrong to say things have entirely returned to normal – the division of the racecourse into two zones is testament to that – but for the punters willing to navigate the maze of plastic railings leading into the track, this was a welcome step in the right direction.