Alarming Hemmings news may be just a precursor to racing's coming storm

Racing has, thus far, experienced something of a phoney war as far as coronavirus is concerned. That might seem odd to say when the entire sport shut down for over two months, but it roared back to life in June with a series of blockbuster racedays and bumper TV audiences. Betting turnover has been solid and even the summer sales have enjoyed decent levels of business. Compared to some other sports and industries, racing has appeared in surprisingly rude health.

Trevor Hemmings to sell off significant number of horses due to Covid-19 impact

You only need to scratch the surface, however, to know all is not well. Prize-money has been the most obvious symptom of malaise – it is sharply down on prior levels, which were hardly lavish – and the ongoing absence of racegoers from tracks, with no indication of when they might return in serious numbers, offers little hope of significant improvement in the short-term.