- Irish horses and staff will return to a country on lockdown
- Grand National at Aintree in April may be under threat
Racing tends to live in its own little world at the best of times – for many of its fans, that is part of the attraction – but the sense of deliberate detachment can never have felt so strong as it will when a dozen horses head to post on Friday afternoon for the 92nd running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In the space of a couple of hours on Thursday morning, in the wider world outside the Prestbury Park bubble, Spain suspended its football league for two weeks, a McLaren team member tested positive for Covid-19 leading to an escalating situation around the Australian Grand Prix, and Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, announced the closure of all schools, colleges and childcare facilities in Ireland until 29 March and a ban on outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people.
Written by Greg Wood at Cheltenham
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/mar/12/cheltenham-gold-cup-promises-last-slice-of-enjoyment-before-reality-hits under the title “Cheltenham Gold Cup promises last slice of enjoyment before reality hits”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
