International Runners Return To British Horseracing
Published June 16, 2020 by Sol FH
British horse racing will be open to international runners this week, which should help renew action.
Punters should be thrilled by the recent announcement by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who confirmed, last week, that as of Monday 15, 2020, all Listed and Pattern races in the UK will be open to international runners.
Horses that have been trained internationally and the professionals that care for them will be granted entrance to Britain, but those entering the country must adhere to UK Government rules and regulations, and, BHA's procedures for horse racing behind closed doors.
Teams from abroad will need to consider their participation as anyone arriving from other jurisdictions must observe a 14-day self-isolation period, with the exception of those coming from Ireland. A declaration of arrival must be made by all foreign visitors and they also must provide supporting documentation to support this declaration.
More Ponies, More Bets
Punters will be able to see a lot more action on the track, as racing chiefs have already changed this week’s fixture from Bath to Lingfield Park, to accommodate the higher number of entries. The BHA said it was also concerned about the Bath track because of the recent dry weather and that there is no irrigation system therein that is usable.
The racing director at Arena Racing Company, Jon Pullin, commented: “Since the publication of the new fixture list, we simply haven’t seen the rainfall at Bath that would be needed for the ground to move from anything other than Firm, Hard in Places.
“Whilst this going description is acceptable for flat racing, it generally suits a relatively small pool of horses. At a time when the focus is on maximizing the opportunities for horsemen, and despite an unsettled forecast for this weekend, we have taken the decision to move the fixture to Lingfield Park’s Polytrack surface.”
There are competitive odds posted for each of the races this month, as online bookmakers like bet365 Sport, 888Sport, and 10bet Sport get back into the swing of things.
