When the open race schedule for 2021 was put together, one notable miss from the Calendar was Sheffield, who have abstained from open racing since lockdown. However, venue director Dave Perry has promised that none of the track’s major events should be lost.
He said: “We have the three Category One events: the Steel City Cup, the GAIN Nutrition Three Steps To Victory and the BGBF British Bred Derby and all should be held later in the year. We are also planning to run Nic Jeal’s (Brinkley’s Poet At Stud) puppy competition.”
The South Yorkshire track have continued to race, but only managed to open to the public, with restrictions, between July and September. They had been further restricted by being designated as a ‘sports ground’, before being forced to close again.
So what are the plans going forward?
Perry replied: “I have given up trying to second guess what the Government will decide in relation to the leisure industry. A this stage we are awaiting on Boris’s statement on the 22nd.
“If he does lay-out a staggered return to normality, I imagine we would get at least a fortnight’s notice. We would need that we stock up and the brewery would need time to start brewing again. We would also need to retrain staff for certain jobs after such a long break.
“Quite how strong business will be is anybody’s guess. At one level you think people will be desperate to get out again after months of confinement. Set against that, how many people will have got out of the habit of coming racing, or seen their livelihoods restricted, or lost their jobs in the last year.”
One further point – Sheffield have maintained all prize money and trainer retention contracts throughout the pandemic.
