'The least we can do is wait' - Hughes limiting runners before owners return

Former champion jockey Richard Hughes, who now trains in Lambourn, has welcomed the imminent return of owners on track and says he has limited his runners in their absence.

Hughes was speaking after saddling his first winner of 2021 at Lingfield on Saturday, when champion trainer John Gosden echoed how much he was anticipating British racing's exit from the coronavirus pandemic.

Owners have been stopped from going racing since the start of January but are due to make a comeback from March 29, followed by spectators later in the year, although they will be welcomed back no earlier than May 17 to coincide with stage three of the government's strategy for lifting lockdown.

Hughes was at Lingfield to witness Crimson Sand's impressive success in the 5f maiden, but spoke of the difficulty of training in the Covid-19 era.

"A lot of my owners like to go racing and unfortunately they can't come at the moment so we've held the horses back this year," he said. "This time last year we had nine winners, but this year we're hanging back and we'll be busy come the end of March."

Hughes, whose riding titles came from 2012 to 2014 before he started training the following year, added: "Without owners this game wouldn't exist and they're kind of forgotten about – they pay the bills and get the worst deal of the lot.

"The least we can do is wait so they can be here and watch their horse win; it means so much to them it's unbelievable, and when you take that away it makes our job pretty hard."

John Gosden: 'I can never emphasise enough we're in huge open spaces'Credit: Edward Whitaker

The Newmarket-based Gosden was also successful on Lingfield's card, winning the Group 3 Winter Derby for the third successive year with Forest Of Dean.

"I think there's no doubt that as soon as we had to go into lockdown all of us were looking at that end of March/beginning of April period, when spring blossoms, with hope we could get owners back and then as soon as we can get people on the track," he said.

"I can never emphasise enough we're in huge open spaces with hundreds of acres with fresh air, we're not sitting next to each other, and I feel so sorry for those in the world of theatre and restaurants and hospitality.

"At least we've been able to tick along and we're in as safe an environment as you can possibly have. Racecourses are huge open-air spaces and that's what people don't quite clock."

Praising the sport's efforts since the outbreak of Covid-19 nearly a year ago, the four-time champion trainer went on: "We've proved that all the way through last year, keeping our bio-security protocols in good order, and there's no reason we shouldn't be able to get people back on track as soon as the government is able to give us the green light.

"It makes such a big difference to our sport and so many others. I'm pretty clear the government want to open the doors as soon as they can, but they have to be diligent about it."

More to read:

Grand National to remain on April 10 before betting shops reopen

Reopening dates for courses and shops set out as BHA seeks return of owners

How does the government's timeline impact the racing and betting industries?

Kavanagh praises 'resilience' as report reveals Covid-19 impact on Irish racing

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