Nick Alexander: we could have continued behind closed doors

Nick Alexander added his voice to trainers who have spoken out against this week’s total shutdown of racing by the BHA, calling it "premature" and asking for a rethink.

He pointed to Ireland and Hong Kong continuing to race behind closed doors and the possibility of France returning to racing sooner than anticipated.

The Kinneston trainer said: "It is really, really important that we try to follow the Irish and French and keep the wheels rolling for the whole industry and keep people in jobs.

"Kelso on Monday was no fun racing behind closed doors but it was keeping the machine going.

Kelso: raced behind closed doors on MondayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"When the machine seizes up people’s businesses are in jeopardy and I do think we could have kept going a bit longer and that might have meant we got started back a bit quicker."

Addressing the argument of racing resulting in pressure on emergency services, he added: "Stable staff at home are just as likely to be injured as jockeys racing and the building trade has accidents which puts the same pressure on the services.

"We could have continued racing behind closed doors and approached retired doctors to cover the meetings."

Irish racing to continue behind closed doors after crucial Wednesday meeting

Alexander had tweeted earlier: "We must follow that [Irish and Hong Kong] precedent as soon as possible to save thousands of jobs at risk across all sectors of our sport. It can be managed. It is not just a sport but a vital rural industry.

"And of course the really odd thing is racing will continue in Northern Ireland - make sense of that if you can?"

Alexander is hoping to avoid making any redundancies by reducing staff’s working hours, having talked to all his owners with many taking them out of training, although the horses traditionally stay at livery with Alexander.

"I think we can make it work for the next six weeks," added Alexander. "As a national hunt trainer, it is not as serious as we are winding down. However, for Flat trainers it is utterly devastating and people are being laid off right, left, and centre - that means government and the state is having to pick up the tab, paying them."

Richard Fahey, who had sent out six winners from his last 21 runners and 178 last year on the Flat, had hoped to send runners to Ireland as well but government travel restrictions have scuppered that.

Fahey said: "It’s frustrating. I’ve been having runners at those first two meetings in Ireland for the last five or six years, so I was always planning to go rather than spotting an opportunity.

Richard Fahey is frustrated he can't send runners across the Irish SeaCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Look, I don’t make the rules I just abide by them and if they’re not having any overseas runners then that’s just the way it is."

In the longer term, Fahey hopes racing returns at the end of the current enforced shutdown.

"If we’re back racing by May I don’t see it as being much of a problem," added Fahey. "If it drags on then it’s a problem as people are paying money for these horses and they’re not doing that for me to just go and look at them on the gallops every morning for days on end.

"I’d hope in three or four weeks we’ll have a much clearer picture as to what’s going to happen. It’ll be fine."

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