BRITISH racing is facing a “severe threat” and “many people’s jobs are in serious risk” following the government’s tightening of Covid-19 restrictions this week, the British Horseracing Authority, Racecourse Association and Horsemen’s Group have warned.

In a joint statement, released following news that spectators might not be allowed back into racecourses for another six months, the groups said: “We have told the UK government our racecourses were facing a loss of £250 million to £350 million of revenues this year, which in turn means less prize money flowing through to our participants and our owners. We will be conducting a further economic impact assessment and will work with the government to put in place financial assistance to protect livelihoods and rural communities.”

Asked on Sky Sports Racing if racing could continue for six months without paying customers, or whether racecourses might be forced out of business, BHA chief executive Nick Rust said: “I don’t know about that, but it will obviously have a dreadful impact – which is why so much time and money has been invested in the pilots.” While he said “there is no doubt that we are going to lose some owners”, Rust hopes the success of crowd pilots at Doncaster and Warwick in the last couple of weeks will work in the sport’s favour: “We’ve run 390 race meetings now since June 1st, and there is no evidence of transmission of the virus on the racecourse... it’s our job to to continue to try and ensure that we convince government to support these events.”

Racecourse Association boss David Armstrong estimated that 30% of Britain’s 1,800 full-time racecourse staff, across 59 tracks, will lose their jobs when the government’s furlough scheme ends next month. He said: “Some people may feel large racecourses are immune, but they face the same financial challenges, only the numbers are bigger. The impact affects all – not just the small.”

Racecourse losses

Jockey Club Racecourses expect revenue losses to exceed initial estimates of £75 million, following the announcement that crowds will be absent from sporting venues for the near future.

Cheltenham is one of 15 tracks run by JCR, and group chief executive Nevin Truesdale is seeking further discussion with government as to how long restrictions may be in place and what support could be offered in the meantime.

He said: “Organisations in the sport and events sector are facing significant financial challenges after six months with no spectators or visitors to their venues.

“Previously we had estimated that revenues at Jockey Club Racecourses would be down this year by around £75 million out of an annual turnover that is normally circa £200 million, but that figure is being revised upwards on the basis we won’t have any level of spectators back from October 1st.

Ascot has almost completed its flat season entirely behind closed doors, with only three race days left in 2020.

The track staged the Royal meeting without spectators in June – and its other headline fixture and seasonal finale, British Champions Day, will also have to go ahead without racegoers on October 17th.

Cheltenham Racecourse alone is set to lose more than £15 million in lost ticket sales between now and next March, assuming that the ban on spectators at sporting events remains in place during that period.

The figure, calculated by The Guardian, is based on an expected 430,000 racegoers attending 13 fixtures, each one paying an average of £50 per ticket, which is a conservative estimate.