Horse racing return at Newcastle sees jockeys in face masks and social distancing measures

Sport has returned as Newcastle Racecourse staged the first race meeting since lockdown.

The event was the first British professional sporting event in over ten weeks.

Jockeys raced in face masks amid tough new safety rules which even prohibited horse owners from entering the course.

Riders wore face masks (Getty Images)

Spectators were also banned, although the event was shown on live TV - marking another milestone in Britain's road back to normal life.

And there were also a string of upsets - including a 22/1 winner in the first race.

It came 48 hours after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced sport could return. Horse racing, he said, would be "first out of the gate" with industry experts claiming it was the perfect sport to go first.

"Horse racing is perfectly suited to being staged behind closed doors," said Lee Motorshead, from The Racing Post.

"And it provides a huge amount of money to the economy, with a lot of jobs dependent on it.

"Plus we are all going through this stressful, painful experience and sport provides a distraction from reality.

"So the return of horse racing will give people something to look forward to."

However, not everybody was thrilled. Journalist Janet Street-Porter claimed it was "extraordinary" racing was returning despite the virus meaning people like her aunt had not been able to leave her care home.

And after Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted it was "wonderful news for our wonderful sport", several politicians and celebrities - including David Baddiel - questioned if it was the right time.

Jockeys observe social distancing at Newcastle Racecourse in Gosforth, as elite sport returned in the UK for the first time (PA Wire)

"We are at a 'dangerous moment' on coronavirus but it’s fine and all smiles because at least footie and horse racing is back, is this real?" asked Labour's Angela Raynor, the Shadow first Secretary of State.

However, racing's return will be welcomed by the industry, unable to stage a meeting for 76 days due to the pandemic.

The sport generates hundreds of millions of pounds each year for the economy, whilst also helping to prop up jobs in sectors such as gambling.

However, the course was much different from usual. As well as the PPE, all of those working on the site had to undergo temperature checks and fill in health surveys.

And there still isn't a date set for when spectators will be able to return to the grandstands.