IN a week which saw some clarity given to Irish racing’s stakeholders on how the sport plans to return to normal service, trainer Gordon Elliott has spoken about the impact that the stoppage has had on his business.
On Wednesday Horse Racing Ireland confirmed that the 2019-’20 National Hunt season was over. The Punchestown Festival would not be rescheduled and, though no definite date can be given for the resumption of racing, when it does restart it will begin with a month of flat-only racing. Only then will the first jumps races be staged.
This news, along with confirmation on Thursday that the point-to-point season had ended, has led to thousands of horses being taken out of training, with inevitable repercussions for trainers and their staff.
Elliott said: “We’re down to 30 horses riding out in the morning, from close to 200 last week, so things are getting remarkably quiet,” he reported. “We have 60-odd staff in the yard and these are worrying times, trying to keep everything going, wages and suppliers paid.”
He said that part-time staff had been let go and he would wait on more definite news about the racing programme before advising owners on when they should return horses to training.
Tiger Roll remains in the Elliott yard for the moment and will definitely be aimed at his two traditional spring targets – the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and the Grand National at Aintree– next year.
“Hopefully we will get him back to Aintree next year, all being well. He should be there now but there are bigger problems in the world.”
The trainer is looking forward to a “significantly enhanced National Hunt programme between October and December”, as promised by HRI, but he said he was not in favour of rescheduling the 2020 Irish Grand National for this winter.
“Having two Irish Grand Nationals in one season is a bit ridiculous, in my view,” he said. “It’s hard enough to prepare horses for a race like that. Having two of them within a few months looks greedy to me.”
Fairyhouse and Punchestown will have suffered huge financial losses with the cancellation of their festivals. However, Punchestown is understood to have had some insurance cover.
Punchestown CEO Conor O’Neill said: “We are exploring all avenues with our insurers in order to minimise losses, but the day you cancel is never a good day. There will be a knock-on effect for many people and businesses. I’m especially disappointed for our own team who had worked so hard in recent months in preparation for the Festival.
“The priority now is to stay safe. Punchestown and Irish racing will get through this and there are better days ahead. The whole economy may be in pieces and half the battle is just to be around afterwards to pick up those pieces and rebuild.”
Headlines this week
• Breeders remain free to take mares to stallion farms.
• Authorities ‘racing ready’ and awaiting Government clearance.
• National Hunt season 2019/’20 has ended.
• 2020 Fairyhouse Easter and Punchestown Festivals will not be rescheduled.
• When racing resumes, it will be flat-only for a month.
• Jump racing will recommence within a month of restart and there will be an enhanced NH programme from Oct-Dec.
• Irish Grand National to be rearranged in winter.
• Point-to-point season is over. Possibility of PTP bumpers on racecourses when jump racing resumes and an expanded autumn season.