Some races should be started without stalls as a means of reducing risk when the sport returns to action, two stalls handlers have told the Guardian. The men, who did not wish to be named, said they could not imagine how the established rules of physical distancing could be maintained during their skilled and dangerous work of guiding racehorses into the starting stalls.
Neither of the men has been given any information about what safety precautions will be put in place, even though there is talk of the sport resuming within the next 10 days.
“Some of these horses need four people to shove them in and where’s the social distancing there?” one said. “It’s just not possible.”
While stalls handlers are required to work closely together, they can also come into unintentional contact with jockeys when a horse misbehaves, as the other stalls handler noted. “I’ve had jockeys land on me, I’ve had jockeys bump heads with me, when the horse pitches forward,” he said.
He added that he was “uneasy” about being quarantined in a hotel for days at a time with other raceday staff and jockeys, under the ‘Phase One’ plans for racing’s resumption that have been outlined by officials. “But we’re going to have to come back. I haven’t got an option, financially.”
Both men suggested the sport should consider not using starting stalls for at least some races when the sport resumes. While some staff would still be needed at the start, that would remove the need for them to work so closely together. “They should have a month of racing with just flag starts,” one said.
“OK, you couldn’t have sprint races without the stalls but you can have distance races. They ought to be able to sort themselves out with a mile to run.”
It is not entirely unknown for short-distance races to be run without starting stalls, in extremis, but most racing professionals would be horrified by the idea. The Temple Stakes of 2004, a prestigious Group Two contest over five furlongs, was begun by tape because of industrial action by stalls handlers, leading to a start described as “shambolic” with the second-favourite facing the wrong way and a 33-1 shot taking the prize.
The British Horseracing Authority pointedly made no mention of flag or tape starts in its reply to the Guardian’s query. A spokesman said: “The safe operation of race starts, including the loading of horses, social distancing protocols and PPE for handlers, is one of the items of detail that the resumption of racing group is working through as part of its plans for a safe return to action. We will work with Racetech on this process and through the appropriate channels ensure that stalls handlers are aware of the protocols as soon as they are finalised and in advance of racing returning.”
Tom Marquand, the British jockey who did so well while riding in Australia recently, said stalls handlers there wore masks and gloves but otherwise did the job normally. “You can’t really change their job too much because it’s an essential part of racing. They’re among the unsung heroes of the sport because they put themselves in a position where they could get quite badly hurt on a daily basis.
“The measures they have in place in Australia were more than sufficient to protect both jockeys and stalls handlers. I know the stalls handlers were happy with the system and the jockeys were too”
A spokesman for Unite, the relevant union for stalls handlers, said: “It is imperative that your employer ensures that social distancing occurs at all times and employees have a legal right to refuse to undertake a task if they believe it poses an immediate risk to their health and safety.”
Wednesday’s best bets
As The Guardian continues in its Hong Kong racing education, we return to Happy Valley, which showed a real bias in favour of those drawn low last week. It may not work out that way now, as that was on the innermost alignment, the ‘A’ course, whereas Wednesday’s action is on the slightly wider ‘B’.
Good Shot (12.45) was a memorably surprising 46-1 winner here a month ago, having shown very little on his only previous start. But it now looks significant that he was fancied at 7-2 for that Hong Kong debut and he certainly travelled like a talented horse on his way to victory, for all that he only got up close home.
He gets to run in the same grade, from just 5lb higher and starting from stall two. The 4-1 is better than I expected, though he is a five-year-old who has run just twice so there is evidently a fragility issue there.
The slow-starting Harmony N Home could be a vulnerable favourite later on the card and this may be the turn for Momentum Galaxy (1.45), with Zac Purton up for the first time. He didn’t get the most aggressive of rides here last month, when he showed promise for the drop into this grade. He’s been supported into 4-1.
Tips by Chris Cook
Happy Valley
11.45 Loriz 12.15 Big Bang Bong 12.45 Good Shot 1.15 Lightning Steed 1.45 Momentum Galaxy 2.15 Be Ready 2.45 Sunshine Warrior 3.15 Whiskey Neat 3.50 Dances With Dragon
There is still plenty of 9-2 around for Whisky Neat (3.15), who has taken a few runs to find his feet since arriving from New Zealand. He had essentially no chance last time when taken back early from the widest draw in a race where the pace held up but still showed promise on that first spin round the Valley. The blinkers come off and Joao Moreira gets on.
