'We'd turn over a quarter of a million' - on-course layers fear festival losses

Leading on-course bookmakers are bracing themselves for their possible absence from the major spring festivals, with one expressing concern over missing out on a "quarter of a million" pounds of turnover during the Cheltenham Festival.

England's latest Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are set to be reviewed by the government in the middle of February, but Cheltenham racecourse director Ian Renton confirmed this month that the marquee meeting would have only a very small crowd or even be held behind closed doors.

Many racecourse bookmakers have not stood their pitch on a racecourse since the 2020 festival while, even for those few who made it back on track during the brief return of very limited crowds late last year, the potential loss of revenue from this year's four-day meeting is a huge concern in an already bleak financial landscape.