Punters think racing will be back in May as odds shorten to 2/5

Punters are optimistic that British racing will return next month with the betting on a May resumption as short as 2-5 following plenty of support over the last 24 hours.

Confidence is building after lots of new details were released this week about what racing would look like when it resumes, alongside some positive reports in the Saturday newspapers about the resumption of live sport, including horseracing and the Premier League.

The Sun published a story reporting that Boris Johnson had been briefed on a plan to stage football matches behind closed doors. According to that report, live sport is seen as a key means of entertaining people stuck indoors for over a month during the coronavirus lockdown.

The chair of the BHA, Annamarie Phelps, shared the Sun article and praised the “very welcome support” for the resumption of sport from the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden.

Earlier this week the BHA outlined their plans to resume racing, with meetings to be staged behind closed doors and field sizes restricted to a maximum of 12. Only experienced jockeys will be allowed to ride, in order to minimise the risk of accidents.

And according to a Racing Post report on Friday, the Investec Derby and Oaks could both be staged on the same day, at their usual home of Epsom, in early July.

All of which is adding to optimism that a return to racing is not too far off, according to Coral’s David Stevens.
He said: “Since the middle of this week, it has all been about a restart happening as soon as next month, with the odds shortening at all rates from evens down to 2-5.

“With the BHA and other sporting bodies involved in ongoing discussions with the government regarding the safe resumption of sport, and an appetite from all concerned to get going again, racing appears well set to return in some form as soon as the time is right.”