Racing in Britain will be behind closed doors from Tuesday, the British Horseracing Authority has confirmed.
The National Hunt meetings at Taunton and Wetherby will be the first in England to take place behind closed doors in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, following the approach taken at Kelso on Monday afternoon.
The BHA confirmed that racing will take place without spectators, until the end of March at the earliest, while there are also likely to be changes to the current fixture list in what is described as a "fluid situation".
Racegoers are advised to contact the individual racecourses for further details.
The Racecourse Association, The Horsemen’s Group and the governing body agreed on the plan moving forward, with BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust saying: "Racecourses and racing yards are embedded in their local communities and we are acutely aware of our responsibilities to protect public health.
"The restrictions we are putting in place to close racing to spectators and limit attendees will reduce demand on public services. We also have a range of measures in place designed in response to the government’s guidance on public health and we will continue to update these as appropriate.
"We acknowledge that today’s decision will also impact on local businesses, especially hotels and restaurants, who are struggling at this time. We are following the government’s advice to strike a balance between protecting public health and maintaining business activity and will continue to do so. We thank our customers and staff for their support."
