Musselburgh preparing for 6 June meeting if go ahead is given for racing

Fixture would be without spectators
Musselburgh staff are preparing so that they can fulfil the 6 June fixture but there will be no spectators. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/GettyMusselburgh staff are preparing so that they can fulfil the 6 June fixture but there will be no spectators. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
Musselburgh staff are preparing so that they can fulfil the 6 June fixture but there will be no spectators. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Horseracing could return to Musselburgh behind closed doors as early as 6 June if course bosses are given the green light.

Groundstaff at the East Lothian venue, who have been furloughed, will temporarily resume work this month to prepare the track for the first anticipated fixture.

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Musselburgh general manager Bill Farnsworth revealed the racecourse would be using the next few weeks to prepare after the UK Government said no sporting events would return until 1 June at the earliest and the Scottish Government continued lockdown until the end of May.

He said: “The British Horseracing Industry has already done much work on the operational plan for the resumption of horseracing in the UK.

“We will therefore use the forthcoming weeks to finalise the plan for a return to racing at Musselburgh, hopefully in June.

“However horseracing will only resume at Musselburgh when it is safe to do so and with the full support of the UK and Scottish Governments.”

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Farnsworth added that racing’s return would be under strict restrictions and behind closed doors, similar to what is already happening in France and Germany.

He said the hope is that Musselburgh can resume its schedule fixture list with a meeting on 6 June, which had already been in the diary.

He said: “If horseracing resumes in June, we hope to stage Musselburgh’s scheduled fixture on Saturday 6th June but, if the advice is that June is too early to stage horseracing in Scotland, we will wait until for the appropriate time and for the greenlight from the UK and Scottish Governments.”

Horseracing returned in France this week giving hope to trainers that Britain will not be far behind.

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A joint letter to Scottish Sports Minister Joe FitzPatrick from East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill and MPs Allan Dorans, Angela Crawley and Pete Wishart, who represent racecourses in Hamilton, Ayr and Perth urges a quick restart to racing when safe to do so.

It read: “Racing finds itself in a unique position compared to other Scottish sports in that our equine athletes, cherished so highly by those in the industry, have remained in training during the pandemic and will therefore be able to come back on shorter notice than the human athletes in other sports.

“When it is safe to do so, a return to racing is the best way of getting the economic cogs of the industry turning once more, and kickstart the benefits to the Scottish economy that horseracing brings, even in a behind closed doors environment.

“Therefore, we ask that you please accelerate your talks with Scottish racing to ensure that a risk managed return can take place as soon as possible and that a return to racing behind closed doors in Scotland does not get unduly delayed compared to the rest of the United Kingdom.”

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