NICOLA Kent, Arqana’s Irish representative, is advising Irish breeders heading to Deauville next week to avail of the Covid-19 testing facility being provided by Randox Health on their return to Ireland. Randox have a testing centre in the Clayton Hotel at Dublin Airport and there are also facilities in Cork and Galway.

From midnight this Sunday (November 29th) travellers arriving into Ireland from abroad can stop restricting their movements after five days if on day five they take a Covid-19 PCR (swab) test which returns negative.

This should allow those who return from Deauville plenty of time to finish quarantine before the upcoming sales at Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland.

“This is a very important change in the Government advice on foreign travel and everyone in the bloodstock industry should be aware of it,” said Nicola. “It is also going to help those who wish to attend the upcoming point-to-point sales in England and Wales.”

Nicola says the local authorities in Deauville were very happy with the protocols put in place by Arqana for the recent four-day National Hunt sale. That sale was conducted completely outdoors but a total of 100 people will now be allowed into the sales ring for the December Sale. “There will also be multiple bidding sites outside the ring,” she added. Local shops will be open.