SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
UK racing has rescheduled its forthcoming Saturday’s afternoon fixtures to mark its respect for the funeral of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away last weekend aged 99.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed that no racing will take place across the UK between 2:45 pm and 4:15 pm on Saturday 17 April.
Yesterday, Buckingham Palace officially communicated that the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will take place on Saturday 17 April 2021 at 3 pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
The Funeral Service will begin with a National Minute’s Silence at three o’clock. The service will be preceded by a ceremonial procession inside the grounds of Windsor Castle.
As a result, the ‘Coral Scottish Grand National‘ fixture at Ayr and the ‘Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials‘ fixture at Newbury will now be moved from Saturday 17 to the afternoon of Sunday 18 April.
The BHA confirmed that ITV Racing would postpone its broadcast on Saturday 17 April, with the rescheduled fixtures at Ayr and Newbury to be broadcast on Sunday on the main ITV Channel.
Afternoon fixtures at Bangor-on-Dee Wales and Thirsk North Yorkshire will be moved to an earlier start time, in order to conclude race finishes by 14:45.
Meanwhile ‘minor rice time adjustments’ will be made to the Saturday fixtures at Brighton and Nottingham racecourses ‘to be staged on or near their planned start times’.
The BHA will publish full details on its rescheduled Saturday 17 April fixtures, later this week.
“British racing will appropriately reflect the period of national mourning at fixtures through to Saturday 17 April, including wearing of black armbands and flags flying at half-mast,” the BHA detailed in its statement.
