the slow return to match races across newmarket heath.

​I continue to lobby Tom Kerr, editor of the Racing Post, to strap on a pair, to use a euphemism or should that be a colloquialism (?), and stop merely reporting what is going on and lead the assault that might, just might, change hearts and minds in government to allowing our racecourses their inherent right to admit the public to watch the entertainment they continue, and at great expense, to provide. As the industry paper, I would argue, the editor, and staff, of The Racing Post has a duty to do all in its power, limited as that might be in times of a state of emergency, to have the sport treated fairly and proportionately by what is an overbearing government. We raced, if in a limited capacity, through two world wars, yet a virus no more destructive than seasonal influenza continues to have turnstiles shut and atmosphere shackled.
It is a wholly ridiculous and confusing state of affairs when West Ham supporters were denied any opportunity to watch their team play in the open air of the London City Stadium yet could watch the match indoors at a cinema.
In yesterday’s paper, it was reported that officials at Cheltenham intend to invite M.P.’s to their November meeting to allow them to experience for themselves all the protocols put in place to provide a safe environment for spectators, albeit a less than capacity total of spectators. The M.P.’s, I suspect, if they bother to attend, will have a pleasant time, but it will not make one jot of difference to the situation as it is not in the gift of parliament to makes wishes come true. I doubt if even Joker Johnson or Hannibal Hancock have the power to grant Cheltenham and racing its dream come true. For Half-Witty and Unbalanced Valance to come out of this debacle with a shred of dignity (unlikely) they have to stick like limpets to their science-defying strategy, even if that entails every business closing, every football club and racecourse lining up for the bankruptcy courts and the population thinned-out due to premature death from heart disease, cancer, kidney failure and who knows what other illnesses that might be treatable if only Covid was not the only illness on their minds.
No one should accept, as seems to be the drift at the moment, the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National run behind closed doors. We need to fight for spectators; we need stamp our feet and cry out our eyes for the right for spectators; we should use the science to fight our cause; we should start petitions, we should pair-up with other sporting organisations in the courts of law to fight for our right to have spectators attend racecourses and other sporting arenas. Never mind financial compensation from government to save our racecourses; that is allowing a corrupt or corrupted government peddling a corrupt narrative based on corrupted science to have its wicked way over us.
Down here in Devon we barely had a first wave, let alone a second. I would have thought Exeter, high up as it is on a windy hill, would be as safe a location for a gathering of people as anywhere in the country. Has the B.H.A. advanced the idea to government to stage a trial at Exeter? Not a trial such as Warwick and Doncaster were permitted, or not only as those racecourses were allowed, but as a tracing experiment, to see if anyone attending the meeting acquires the virus or if they pass it on to someone who did not attend. 1,000 people should make for a proper scientific study, I would think.
By the way, as a kind of heads-up, I watched a video the other day posted by a young man who bought a Covid test-kit. He had heard that some of his mates had swabbed a dog and dipped a swab in a puddle, send off the kit, with the result both returned positive. So, he did nothing more than put the swab-stick in the test-tube, broke it in half, as directed, without it touching any part of him, having not swabbed himself, of course, sent it off and two days later was informed he tested positive and would need to quarantine for ten-days. This is what we are up against! This is why positive cases are rising, as directed by Half-Witty and the script he must adhere to.

As anyone who is (highly unlikely) a regular reader of this blog might know, I joined the David Pipe Racing Club a couple months ago, just before the absurd ‘rule of six’ was dreamed-up by the Johnson Gang, the result of which was that David had to withdraw the invitation to the club for a stable visit – great timing, as usual – and I suggest anyone who wishes to make a wee effort to help the sport in its time of need that for a modest fee joining similar racing clubs would be a good example of every little bit helps. Nearer Christmas I may, as a present to myself, join another racing club. Joining racing clubs might become my new hobby. Or at least collecting all the racing club badges might become my hobby. There are more expensive hobbies, I’m sure.
Oh, and the title of this blog: if the state of emergency continues for its full term of two-years, and nothing changes in the interim, no poisonous vaccine (don’t take it or it’ll change your life forever) or opening up of society, there is a danger our sport will return to wealthy people betting on match races across Newmarket Heath.