Off-course market to be used to produce SPs for meetings behind closed doors

An official starting price based on odds provided by eight major off-course operators will be returned for race meetings without on-course bookmakers or punters, starting with Kelso on Monday.

The off-course bookmakers involved will be providing their own show prices, but the Starting Price Regulatory Commission has been asked by the industry to produce an official SP.

Kelso's meeting on Monday will be the first in Britain to take place behind closed doors following advice from the Scottish government that gatherings of more than 500 people be cancelled.

Without racecourse bookmakers or punters the usual system for formulating the SP, which is based on the on-course market, cannot be used.

Instead the eight off-course bookmakers – Betfred, bet365, BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Sky Bet and William Hill – will provide their shows to the Press Association.

There was no crowd in attendance for Dundalk's all-weather meeting on Friday evening

A representative of the PA will relay information on withdrawals and the off-time to an office-based colleague who will use the last betting shows from the operators involved to produce an SP which will be validated by an SP validator also working in the PA office.

The same formula used to produce the SP in normal circumstances will still apply.

SPRC chairman Lord Donoghue said: "The SPRC is in intense talks daily to find a way forward if all racing takes place behind closed doors."

The procedures apply in the event of fewer than three bookmakers being present on course.

Horseracing Bettors Forum chairman Colin Hord said of the new arrangements: "In these exceptional circumstances there is no alternative. We will monitor the SPs, starting with Kelso."

In Ireland, where racing has been taking place behind closed doors, the SP has been produced by SIS using the same method they utilise for meetings in places such as Dubai and France where there is no on-course market.

SIS product director Paul Witten said he was confident in the integrity of their SP, adding: "It's a tried and trusted mechanism and we have been doing it for years."

SPRC rule for calculating the SP

For each horse in a race the prices on offer by all bookmakers in the sample are ordered into a list from longest to shortest. The list is then divided into two equal halves and the SP is the shortest odds available in the half containing the longest odds. The SP or a longer price will have been offered by at least half the bookmakers in the sample.

Read this next:

Rich Ricci surprised but delighted Cheltenham Festival went ahead

How bookmakers are dealing with starting prices for racing behind closed doors (£)

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app