Harrington backs HRI resumption plan and insists people's health must come first

Leading dual-purpose trainer Jessica Harrington has given her blessing to Horse Racing Ireland's Covid-19 contingency plan but urged the authorities to be creative when reconstituting the jumps programme for the autumn.

With a raft of exciting Flat horses to look forward to, Harrington is doubtless in a position to take a more temperate view of the manner in which the jumps season has been cut short than some of her colleagues who rely almost exclusively on the National Hunt discipline might.

No Punchestown festival for 2020 as Horse Racing Ireland ends jumps season

However, Gordon Elliott, who was just over €100,000 behind Willie Mullins in the pursuit of a first trainers' championship, set the tone on Wednesday night by insisting that getting the coronavirus under control is a far more important matter right now.

Harrington is of a similar mindset, and she believes it was right to make a call on the Punchestown festival rather than explore attempts to run it behind closed doors.

"I think HRI have done the right thing," said the trainer, who had been preparing last year's Randox Health Grand National runner-up Magic Of Light for a return trip to Aintree this weekend before its cancellation.

"Trying to run the festival at Punchestown would be tricky. Can you have a festival behind closed doors, with no English horses? I couldn't really see it working. They had to make a decision. We don't like to see these things go by the wayside but if they use a bit of imagination for the autumn programme, it could be the right way to go.

"I think it's a good thing that we now know what's happening. Until they have this virus under control, we have to wait. Life will have to get back to some bit of normality at some stage, and anything we can do to help prevent the spread of it, we must do that.

"However much we want racing to go on, we have to look at the bigger picture. First and foremost, we have to look after the people, and think of the nurses and the doctors who are caring for everyone."

As for when racing does eventually resume, Harrington maintains prioritising the Flat, which will have the stage to itself in Ireland for the first four weeks of a staggered return, is the prudent thing to do.

Alpine Star, Albigna, Millisle and Cayenne Pepper are among some exciting three-year-old prospects being kept ticking over at her Moone, County Kildare base. When the jumps does return, the BoyleSports Irish Grand National is due to be rescheduled between October and December, but what else might be salvaged, be it from Fairyhouse or Punchestown, remains up in the air.

Harrington's Albigna, seen here winning the Prix Marcel Boussac under Shane Foley, is a leading Classic contender for 2020Credit: Patrick McCann

"If we can get the Flat racing back for a month on its own when the time is right, it is more important at this time of year," she said.

"And running the Irish Grand National in the autumn is a great incentive to figure something out for the jumps programme. Plenty can be done. Obviously they will need to come to an agreement over novice status and how they work that.

"Maybe anything that was a novice this year could be a novice until December, or something like that. It would give those horses a chance. So we'll have to think outside the box and be a little creative, but there will be ways to make it work."

More news from Ireland:

Legendary trainer John Oxx keen for Flat season to extend into December

Trainer numbers in Ireland plummet again as contraction continues

Punchestown covered for festival loss but concerned about long-term impact

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