THE rattle of hooves as they passed the winning line sounded the same as always.
But the roar of watching a well-backed favourite deliver was eerily absent as Kelso yesterday became the first racecourse in the UK to race behind closed doors.
Racing was held at Kelso in front of fewer than 500 people, with no racegoers allowed entry
No bookies hollering odds, no sound of pints being poured and no chatter emanating from the iconic Chicken Hutch bar.
That corrugated iron establishment, scene of many a warming hot toddy or steaming mulled wine, cast a particularly forlorn sight as it lay bolted shut.
Scottish Accent finished a close second in the 3.10, but you didn’t hear any cheering him up the hill.
The raceday announcer ploughed on with his duties regardless, announcing the horses and jockeys into the largely deserted parade ring. Some normality in the most abnormal of circumstances.
This was a day’s racing, but it wasn’t a day at the races.
The Borders track, who announced last Friday the doors were swinging shut to comply with the Scottish Government’s new event rules, felt like a test case to see whether the British Horseracing Authority’s plan works.
As far as the business of racing is concerned, it did – and very much so.
Off-course fans and punters were served up the usual fare on their televisions and mobile phones. They wouldn’t have noticed any difference from an armchair.
With jockeys, stable staff, trainers and farriers relying on the industry for their income, the overwhelming feeling is the show must go on.
While other sports are already locked down hard, this one believes it can continue.
The reasons why? No crowds mean no policing is required. The bigger, thornier, issue is the medical side.
Jockeys are, after all, the only people apart from the President of the United States who have an ambulance racing around behind them every minute of the working day.
Coronavirus warning posters were dotted around the course
But with a series of long-standing private arrangements in place with local medics, racing believes it won’t be a burden on the vital services in the weeks and months ahead.
Having experienced the thrill of being roared up the famous Cheltenham hill aboard Buena Vista in 2011 and then lining up in five Grand Nationals, jockey Conor O’Farrell has soaked up the atmosphere created by big crowds in the past.
With Musselburgh following suit this Friday and then again on Tuesday March 31 – as well as another closed-doors Kelso this Saturday – he could have to get used to performing in front of no people.
O’Farrell said: “It has been a strange day but this is the situation we’re in now and we’re glad to still be racing.
“It was different riding with no crowds, but it’s better having that than no racing at all.
The grandstand stood empty at Kelso on Monday
“You notice the crowd much more at the bigger meetings, obviously.
“I’ve ridden a Cheltenham Festival winner and the crowd was good that day.
“But the first time I rode in the Grand National, you realise what it’s like to ride in front of a really big crowd.
“That was the day I really took it all in a bit more.
“Those days are great but the important thing right now is keeping racing going even if that means people have to watch it on television.
“We could stay racing behind closed doors as long as needed, it doesn’t affect our job if nobody’s here. Closing it down completely would be a lot worse for everyone.
“For jockeys it’s massively important we keep going, if we don’t ride we don’t earn.
“There is the impact on the whole industry if racing goes off, so we’re just waiting to see how long we can continue to race behind closed doors.
“When we saw football go off we did think racing could follow suit as well, and the reality is we could be shut down before long too.
“It has gone behind closed doors to keep it going, so it’s just down to what happens now to see if it’s going to stay on.”
The doors were closed, but behind them in this little corner of the Borders the world continued to turn the same.
