Crowds closer to racecourse return as Chester eyes May meeting for trial run

Chester could step forward to stage sizeable crowd trials before the government's May 17 target for the reopening of sports stadia, with the track's executive submitting a plan to the relevant authorities for up to 5,000 spectators on each of the three days of its prestigious May meeting.

While step three of the government's roadmap for taking England out of lockdown does not kick in until two weeks after its fixture, the course already has lateral flow testing kits on order and a plan in place that could be used in conjunction with the work group tasked with plotting the return of large-scale sporting and cultural events.

As teams at racecourse groups and independents in England continue to digest the details of prime minister Boris Johnson's plans, Goodwood has emerged as another venue ready to hold test events, despite suffering the disappointment of having racing's first crowd pilot cancelled at less than 24 hours' notice last summer.