Racing in UK to carry on behind closed doors: official

Racing in Britain is to carry on but behind closed doors, the sport's regulatory authority the British Horseracing authority said on Monday.

The sport attracted criticism for allowing the showpiece Cheltenham Festival to go ahead last week with over 250,000 spectators attending despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Many of the Cheltenham racegoers were Irish, which provoked a social media backlash in Ireland, but racing authorities say they were following British government advice in maintaining the meeting.

Irish racing had already taken the decision to race behind closed doors last week

Meanwhile the BHA shut its central London head quarters earlier on Monday due to "small numbers of office-based BHA staff self-isolating."

With Premier League football and other sports suspending their seasons, racing has taken measures of its own after the BHA, the Racecourse Association and The Horsemen's Group, which represents the interests of racehorse owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and breeders, conferred on Monday.

"Racing industry leaders have confirmed a plan to continue racing behind closed doors from tomorrow (Tuesday)," read a joint statement.

"Any fixtures that take place in England, Wales and Scotland, initially until the end of March, will take place without spectators and with restrictions on the number of attendees."