Jockey PJ McDonald
Jockey PJ McDonald

PJ McDonald hopes racing resumes quickly after BHA shutdown


Jockey PJ McDonald admits to being shocked by the decision to cancel racing - and hopes the sport is able to resume sooner rather than later.

The BHA announced on Tuesday morning that no meetings would take place from Wednesday onwards until the end of April at the earliest.

McDonald said: "It was a bit of a shock. Obviously we knew something was going to happen soon, but we hoped we might get away with it behind closed doors for a little bit longer.

"A lot of intelligent people have made this decision and it's been made for the right reasons, so let's hope we can get through it safe and we get back racing as soon as we can.

"If we're not riding we can't earn, but outside the racing bubble the whole country will take a hit. We've all got to tighten our belts and do what we've got to do to get through it.

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"Public safety is the most important thing, no one has ever witnessed anything like this before. Some jockeys are better placed financially than others. There's no getting away from it, it's going to be tough, but you just have to deal with your own situation the best you can.

"There shouldn't be any problem keeping fit - we've a lot of time on our hands! A lot of us will be riding out as well, but the trainers will see a hit financially as owners won't want to pay to keep horses that can't race. I'd be pretty scared if we can't get back by the end of April."

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