Newton Abbot '18 months away' from providing normal racegoer experience

Newton Abbot, a serious contender for being Britain's most beleaguered racecourse since the arrival of Covid-19, remains up to 18 months away from providing what it considers to be a normal experience for racegoers.

On the eve of the government's lifting of coronavirus restrictions, the independent track will have a limited attendance of only 500 people on Sunday, with that same number again being the maximum total for the venue's first meeting in the new era on July 26.

The cap on crowd levels is set to be lifted for its August 21 fixture, by when its betting hall will have been returned to punters, with jockeys returning to either the weighing room or a new marquee.