Racing will resume at Perth Racecourse from July 21, bosses have announced.
Preparations are being made for the first horses to return to the turf after the First Minister announced on Thursday that Scotland would enter Phase 2 of lifting lockdown measures.
However racing fans hoping to go along and watch will be disappointed, as meetings will be held behind closed doors for the foreseeable future.
Bosses at the Scone racetrack said that as an alternative the events on July 21, August 11 and August 30 will be broadcast on Racing TV.
Hazel Peplinski, Perth Racecourse chief executive, said: “This has rightly been a careful and cautious process, with the health of the public always the greatest priority. However we are delighted to be able to play a small part in the resumption of the wider horse-racing industry with the significant positive impact this shall bring to the leisure sector.
“It is refreshing to once again have a fixture on the horizon to be proactively planning for after such a long period of uncertainty. There is a substantial amount of operational work involved in meeting the full compliance requirements for a behind closed doors fixture.
“Every protocol and procedure needs scrutinised in minute detail so that it is site specific for Perth even though the same processes have worked so well at other racecourses south of the border since racing resumed there on June 1.”
Hazel continued: “Whilst it is all very well to be planning for racing’s resumption next month, it will only begin to feel anything like normal when we are able to welcome our fantastic crowds back to Perth. Our whole financial model is based on attracting full attendances and hospitality – these are the elements of our business that make us tick.
“It is the live crowds that make the atmosphere so whilst racing behind closed doors is an essential stepping stone to protect the economics of the industry, it shall just not be the same until we can welcome back our key missing ingredient which is our loyal fan base.”
