RCA chief wants multiple tracks to be given chance to stage racegoer trials

Racecourse Association chief executive David Armstrong hopes racing will be given another trial meeting with spectators after the late cancellation of last Saturday's test at Goodwood.

"What happens next is the government will look at what it wants the next round of pilot events to be, which sports will be taking part," Armstrong said. "There is no guarantee they will be racing events but I think there's a very good chance racing will be offered the opportunity to host one or more further pilot events.

"We don't know the time scale yet. In theory there is an opportunity for pilot events to recommence from August 15 but I'm not sure at what point the government will be willing to commit to those events, with the recent lockdown changes at the end of last week. I suspect they'll want to go cautiously to begin with.

"We just have to put our best foot forward with DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport], hope we get selected and then keep everything crossed that we don't run into the same problem as we saw last Friday at Goodwood."

Goodwood: raced behind closed doors all weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

Armstrong stressed the importance of staging trial meetings with spectators, ahead of the Prime Minister's previously announced intention of some crowds returning to sporting events on October 1.

"If all racecourses are going to come back from October 1, it's very difficult to go from where we are now to overnight welcoming back spectators across the racecourses racing in that first week of October," he said.

"We'll be putting forward a plan that sees us trying to test out across several racecourses of different sizes and possibly different ownership structures as well.

"It's not a simple thing putting on an event with this limited crowd scenario, so we do want to give courses a chance to prepare and think through the protocols needed.

"The clock is ticking because it is just two months until we hope to welcome back spectators to all courses, albeit in limited numbers."

More to read:

Doncaster proposes plan to have spectators for each day of St Leger meeting

Goodwood managing director warns racecourses could close if crowds don't return

Goodwood faces six-figure bill as return of racegoers is cancelled by government

Mishriff and leading St Leger candidates given Grand Prix de Paris option

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