Nick Rust appeals to government for help with getting racing to 'the other side'

BHA chief executive Nick Rust has appealed to government for direct financial support with the impact of no crowds set to cost the sport £300 million this year.

Rust joined the leaders of other major sports in a meeting with Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for culture, media and sport.

"We said we need direct financial support," Rust told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. "We had hoped for a return of crowds in some form and have been mitigating and self-helping as best we could.

"I reiterated that the sport would lose £300 million this year as a result of not having crowds, which is a worked-through income figure, and if these restrictions remain throughout the winter period then we wouldn't be able to get to the other side without support.

"I asked for the crowd pilots to be evaluated when the government considers de-escalating its coronavirus response. It will still have a job to do in convincing the public that gatherings at sports events above a certain number are something they want to get behind.

"We've worked hard to return safely with more than 390 events behind closed doors, as well as two pilots. There's been no evidence of transmission of the virus in the way we've operated, and other sports will have conducted activities in the same manner.

Minister Oliver Dowden met with the leaders of sporting bodies on Tuesday

"There must now be a body of evidence to help the government make the case that sports should be allowed to return with crowds. We also felt we present a considerably lower risk than some."

The sporting leaders were advised to follow up with sports minister Nigel Huddleston and his officials in the next few days to discuss the support the government is willing to make available to the sector.

It was suggested this could be similar to the £1.57 billion package handed out to the arts sector earlier this year, although the Guardian has reported such a figure unlikely. Officials will assess methods to assist the sports sector generally, as well as looking at the specific needs of each one.

The government also banned pilot events for the return of crowds, and Rust said getting them back was high on the sport's agenda.

"We've got to kick on and try to bring the trial events back," added Rust. "We need to evaluate them and learn lessons. The key thing is that behind-closed-doors racing is not at all under threat.

"We just have to keep chipping away, working with the other sports and using our advantages to show we can operate the trials." Rust has also mentioned levy reform as one way to soften the blow of the coronavirus pandemic, but this was not raised in the meeting. The case for levy reform was, however, discussed with Huddleston by BHA chair Annamarie Phelps in a meeting last week.

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