Warwick gets go-ahead for reduced capacity crowd trial

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Warwick’s pilot meeting on Monday has been given the green light to take place, but with a crowd reduced from a proposed 800 people to 474 spectators.

As a result, no tickets will go on sale to the general public, with the spaces filled by annual members, hospitality and owners.

When last week’s pilot scheme at Doncaster was halted by the local authority after just one day, Warwick reduced their capacity from 1,000 to 800, but following meetings with Public Health England, the figure has been further reduced.

Warwick is owned by the Jockey Club, like Newmarket, with that track still planning to stage the Cambridgeshire meeting (September 24-26) in front of 1,000 racegoers each day.

A statement on Warwick’s website read: “Following discussions with local authorities and representatives, Warwick Racecourse will welcome up to 474 spectators at its Monday, September 21 racing fixture as part of a limited capacity trial, with stringent health and safety measures in place for its first meeting since March.

“The restricted capacity will be filled by 150 annual members, 124 hospitality bookers and up to 200 racehorse owners, in addition to participants and raceday staff.

“Tickets will not go on general sale given the limits involved.”

With a handful of football matches this weekend also hosting small crowds, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden issued an update on the pilot schemes.

He tweeted: “Return of fans to sport update. Just held a collaborative and constructive meeting with major sports on the October 1 review. There is mutual understanding of the need to get fans back in, while all acknowledging the very significant headwinds we face with the virus.

“The Government is conducting this review rapidly and will complete this work on the return of fans as soon as possible. This follows a meeting I held with the business events sector earlier this week as part of the review.”

The British Horseracing Authority along with a number of other sporting bodies, including the Premier League, EFL and England and Wales Cricket Board, met with Dowden on Wednesday and issued a joint statement after their discussions.

The statement said: “We conveyed to the Secretary of State the very serious financial situation now facing our sports, clubs and venues and that we believe we can stage events safely.

“It is clear that if fans cannot return soon that there will be very serious economic implications across our sporting sector.

“Our sports have already demonstrated through staging fixtures behind closed doors, in test events and through the return of recreational sport that we can deliver the very highest standards in safety and best practice.

“We will continue to engage with the Government in the days ahead and provide any further evidence required.”

Logician takes Doncaster return in his stride

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Plans have yet to be made for Logician following his successful comeback at Doncaster last week.

The John Gosden-trained grey had been out of action for almost a year after winning last season’s St Leger, having suffered a life-threatening illness during the winter.

He faced only one rival on Town Moor and unexpectedly had little trouble in winning, but despite holding entries at Ascot on British Champions Day over 10 furlongs and two miles, no decision on whether the unbeaten Frankel colt goes there will be made for some time.

“He’s come out of it fine, I’m pleased to say,” said owner Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe.

“He seems to be in good shape after it and it was everything we could have hoped for actually as a race.

“It was almost a year to the day since he won the St Leger and he had been seriously ill over the winter, so we were going into the unknown a bit to say the least. But the way he came out of it pleased us.

“We’ve got no real plans as such. I think John’s inclination is to go gently and we really wanted to see how he came out of the race and see how he progresses before making a decision.”

A debrief for the Logician team at Doncaster
A debrief for the Logician team at Doncaster (David Davies/PA)

With Enable almost certain to be retired following her run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next month, Logician looks set to be a standard bearer for the team next term.

“He’s an important horse for Prince Khalid and we’re treating him very much with next year in mind,” said Grimthorpe.

“You have to treat each horse on their merits so we’ll keep monitoring him. He’s still unbeaten in six races and is a very exciting horse – hopefully there’s more to come.

“To say it was a two-runner race the other day the time was respectable, all things considered.”

Pista finishes with a flourish to bag Park Hill prize

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Pista continued her progression when powering home in impressive fashion to win the bet365 Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster.

The three-year-old seemed suited by the step up in trip last time out when winning a Listed race at Leopardstown, but this contest marked a rather steep rise in grade.

Last of the field turning into the straight, the rangy filly really hit her stride in the final furlong.

Snow had set the pace but was back-peddling when the favourite Believe In Love took over, although she had no answer to Pista (6-1), who flew home under William Buick to win by a length and a half from Vivionn.

Victorious trainer Joseph O’Brien was landing a rare Group race that his father, Aidan, has still to cross off his list, while Pista was giving her sire American Pharoah a notable winner in England.

“I thought William gave her a great ride. I was a little worried because he was a little bit further back than we’d planned for most of the way and she ran around a bit in the straight, but she’s got a big engine,” O’Brien told ITV Racing.

“She’s a tall filly, so hopefully she’ll progress next season.

“There’s a nice fillies’ race on Arc weekend (Prix de Royallieu) that might suit her now if she comes out of this well.”

She was given an 8-1 quote for the French race by Paddy Power.

Buick added: “Joseph liked her and thought she came here with a good chance.

“It probably wasn’t a strong Park Hill. She had a lovely profile coming in and I thought she did it well – she’s a good, staying filly.

“I thought the race was there for an improver to come through and she was that one horse.

“I think you would have to give her that chance (in the Prix de Royallieu). She’s done nothing but progress all her life and I don’t see any reason why she can’t progress further.”

Fallon prepares for lift-off with The Lir Jet

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Cieren Fallon will partner The Lir Jet for the first time in the Bombardier Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.

Michael Bell’s youngster claimed Royal Ascot glory in the Norfolk Stakes in June, since when he has finished second in the Prix Robert Papin at Deauville and the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

Bell hopes he can get back on the winning trail in the five-furlong Group Two, provided conditions are in his favour.

“The horse worked nicely last week and is in good form,” said the Newmarket trainer.

“We’re keen to let him take his chance. I’m just hoping the ground doesn’t dry out too much.”

Cieren Fallon has a big opportunity aboard The Lir Jet
Cieren Fallon has a big opportunity aboard The Lir Jet (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Fallon takes over in the saddle on Town Moor, having recently been appointed second jockey to prominent owners Qatar Racing – whose number one rider Oisin Murphy is currently sidelined by suspension.

One of the rising stars of the weighing room, Fallon has already enjoyed success for Bell – as his father Kieren did aboard the yard’s subsequent Derby hero Motivator in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster 16 years ago.

Bell added: “I’m a big fan of Cieren’s. He rode the Qatar Racing winner for us at Catterick earlier in the week (Twilight Heir) and has ridden plenty for us this year. I couldn’t say for sure, but I would guess he’s ridden half a dozen winners for us.

“His father rode a lot for us back in the day, and the one that sticks out is Motivator in the Racing Post Trophy. He would have kept the ride as a three-year-old, but he took the Ballydoyle job that year.

“I was always a big fan of Kieren as well.”

Sacred is a leading Flying Childers contender for William Haggas
Sacred is a leading Flying Childers contender for William Haggas (David Davies/PA)

The Lir Jet is set for a fourth clash this summer with the Richard Hannon-trained Ventura Tormenta.

The latter was sixth in the Norfolk Stakes on his debut and beat The Lir Jet by a short head in the Prix Robert Papin, but was a disappointing last of 10 in the Phoenix.

Hannon also saddles Mohawk King – while Michael O’Callaghan’s Steel Bull, the Ger Lyons-trained Frenetic and Measure Of Magic from Johnny Murtagh’s yard are three major contenders from Ireland.

William Haggas is looking forward to saddling Sacred, who has finished second in the Queen Mary at the Royal meeting and in the Lowther at York since winning on her Newmarket introduction.

He said: “Sacred is in good order, and the more the ground dries out the better for her.

“She’s very well, and I think coming back from six to five furlongs will suit. I hope she’ll run a nice race.”

Ubettabelieveit (Nigel Tinkler), Winter Power (Tim Easterby), Perotto (Marcus Tregoning) and Burning Cash (Paul Midgley) complete an 11-strong field

Doncaster primed for crowd return as St Leger Festival opens

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Doncaster officials are well aware all eyes will be on them as the opening day of the Pertemps St Leger Festival welcomes the first paying crowd at any British meeting since March.

Since racing resumed after lockdown at Newcastle on June 1, it has been restricted first to essential staff and from early July onwards owners too.

Goodwood had hoped to stage the Saturday of the Glorious meeting in front of a crowd of 5000. But those plans were called off at the 11th hour as Government regulations were updated in the fight against coronavirus – and it has taken another six weeks for plans to be put in place for a pilot meeting to test out the return of spectators.

Doncaster is run by Arena Racing Company, and their racing division managing director Mark Spincer said: “There are nerves, absolutely.

“I think the team has done an amazing job, and we’re still finalising and tweaking things – and we’ll probably do that every day of the four.

“But we’re set, tickets have gone out – which are all advance sales, because we’re not doing walk-ups.”

Spincer acknowledges the stakes are high as the feasibility of racing crowds is put to the test on Wednesday.

He added: “Nobody needs to tell us how important this is – not only for Doncaster and Arena but for the industry and sport as a whole, the leisure sector and the hospitality industry need us to get this right.

“Arena have had the first day of racing’s return at Newcastle, and we had the first day of owners at Southwell – now we’ve got the pilot of racegoers returning.

“Despite all the space at Doncaster, because of social-distancing, we can only operate at 50 per cent capacity. Jockeys are in the exhibition hall because they need two metres between them; owners are in one of the restaurants – while the annual members are on the first floor, (so) there’s 800 of them spread out across seven bars.

“Hopefully it all goes smoothly.”