Racing around the globe has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak, with Malaysia and France the latest to cancel race meetings.
There will be no racing in Malaysia this week, with Perak and Selangor Turf Clubs cancelling meetings on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, while in France, racing has shut down until April 15, at the earliest.
France had been the first major European racing country to stage the sport behind closed doors, however last Monday an announcement issued by France Galop stated all racing action will stop.
Edouard de Rothschild, president of France Galop, and Le Trot’s Jean-Pierre Barjon said in a joint statement: “Our absolute priority is the health of all people involved in racing and respect for the directives of the state. In suspending all racing, we want above all to protect them from the current pandemic. In taking this decision the horse industry also shows its solidarity with the entire nation.”
