Bookies are of the hope that horseracing can be more flexible by rescheduling the date of Aintree’s Grand National to make sure betting-shop bettors can be a part of the annual “festival”.
The deadly COVID-19 Pandemic put a halt on last year’s edition, alongside several other key sporting activities – and after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced earlier in the week, this year’s event is set to hold just two days before the earliest reopening of inessential stores and shops.
Racing authorities have had to get used to several issues posed by the deadly virus in the last year, first of, with a discontinued list of the fixture, then a deferment of attendance for owners and fans, and store closures also affecting revenue.
Lately, the extremely harsh weather in the winter has brought its challenges, also – but authorities were fast to outline rescheduling schemes to save big encounters lost to the harsh frozen weather.
PR Director of Ladbrokes Coral, Simon Clare, is insinuating the sport can display such enthused spirit – and offer itself a financial boost – by postponing the commencement of the annual horserace event, currently billed to hold on Saturday 10th of April so that it can run along with opened shops.
The race staged at Aintree Racecourse is undoubtedly the biggest betting race yearly, with a reported turnover of about £300million.
Undoubtedly the biggest betting horserace of the British calendar year – the horserace which several people in the country enjoy as a national festival and celebration was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
During the race, betting shops offer massive service to punters. Many once-a-year bettors come and have place bets at shops on the big race with many coming with their dark horse today for the race.
However, the PR Director, Clare, acknowledges it may not eventually prove possible to delay the horserace by a few days or a week.
But Clare has attached his hopes on another example of the ingenuity which has helped the Horseracing administrators in Britain, Jockey Club, and several other stakeholders plot a trail through the COVID-19 pandemic so far.
Reports suggest The Grand National is 10 times worth more than the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so reopening the shops is great. It remains the biggest betting race of the year.
The financial consequences have been felt by bookies, with many shutting their shops during the lockdowns of last year.
The Jockey Clubs, who own Aintree, and the British Horseracing Authority are yet to comment yet about the possibility of rescheduling the race at Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Officials at the dual-purpose British racecourse mascot, are considering the conundrum of whether to try and reschedule theRoyal meeting by 5 or 7 days in the hope of having a crowd of spectators.
As things stand, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a limited number of spectators would be permitted at the currently scheduled dates of June 15th – 19th – but there’s every possibility that restrictions are entirely lifted on June 21.
Director of communications at Ascot, Nick Smith, said the organizers of the Berkshirehorserace are quietly surprised and pleased at the level of detail the British Prime Minister was able to share last Monday.
