‘He’s unbelievably deluded’: Royal Ascot chief is savaged on social media after admitting in car-crash interview to ‘an element of risk’ of someone contracting coronavirus if the festival is held behind closed doors
- Royal Ascot could be held behind closed doors despite coronavirus risk
- Blue riband racing event won’t be open to the public but could go ahead in June
- Director of Racing Nick Smith admitted there was ‘an element of risk’
- He also said that the racecourse would lose money even by going ahead
- Smith was criticised on social media with one user calling him ‘deluded’
By Adam Shergold for MailOnline
Published: | Updated:
Royal Ascot chief Nick Smith has been slammed for considering holding the blue riband horse racing event behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a car crash interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Smith twice failed to answer how he would feel if someone contracted the killer virus at the event.
And he conceded there would be ‘an element of risk’ of spreading coronavirus even if just jockeys and racecourse staff were allowed to be in attendance.
Royal Ascot will not take place as a public event but could take place behind closed doors
Nick Smith, Royal Ascot’s director of racing and public affairs, conceded there could be ‘an element of risk’ of spreading coronavirus even if the event is held behind closed doors
He also admitted this year’s event, set to be held at the Berkshire racecourse between June 16-20, would not make any money if held without spectators.
Royal Ascot announced on Tuesday that this year’s meet would not be a public event but they hoped to stage it behind closed doors.
It came as other highlights of the sporting calendar, such as Wimbledon and The Open golf championship, were cancelled.
Asked on Radio 4 how much money they would make from the meeting this year, Smith, who is Royal Ascot’s director of racing and public affairs, admitted they would ‘lose money considerably’.
Smith was asked whether there could be an ‘element of risk’ even with social distancing measures in place to protect jockeys and staff at the racecourse.
A statement issued said the decision had been taken for public health and safety reasons
The Queen in attendance at last year’s Royal Ascot – spectators won’t be permitted this year
Cheltenham Festival organisers criticised
Organisers of the Cheltenham Festival defended their decision to go ahead with the event last month despite claims the hundreds of thousands of people who attended helped spread coronavirus.
The Festival took place before the country was placed into lockdown to prevent the spread of the killer virus but cases had already been confirmed in the UK.
‘It’s simply not possible to know how and where someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 has contracted it,’ said Dr Sue Smith, the Festival’s senior racecourse medical officer.
‘The standards of hand wash and hygiene at the Festival were of the highest level and all measures were taken in accordance with daily updates from Public Health England.’
He said: ‘No there won’t be a huge element of risk. Obviously there is going to be an element of risk but the risk at the point in time we start racing will be determined by the Government and we will follow Government directives.’
Asked how he would feel if just one person contracted coronavirus from Royal Ascot, Smith tried to evade the answer, saying: ‘I think we have to look at everything in the round. The Government, all sport together…’
Prompted by Today reporter Garry Richardson to answer the question, Smith said: ‘I think we have to take the whole resumption of sport in the round and racing will play its part in that.’
He was criticised on social media following the interview. Twitter user ‘Beyond belief’ wrote: ‘Nick Smith from Ascot Racecourse just made a complete prat of himself of R4 attempting to justify racing behind closed doors that will undoubtedly put lives at risk and lose a shed load of money. Unbelievably deluded.’
Smith was criticised on Twitter, with users calling him ‘deluded’ after hearing the interview
Steve Wells tweeted: ‘Nick Smith… saying they are looking to run @Ascot Royal meeting behind closed doors, and by running it they will make a huge [loss], so what’s the point, he really didn’t do himself [or] the sport many favours during the interview.’
Mike Bridges wrote: ‘Nick Smith asked twice. ‘If just one person contracted Coronavirus and passed it on what would you think of your decision then?’ NOT ANSWERED TWICE.’
Andy Payne wrote: ‘Nick Smith who runs Ascot race course just got put through the mill and quite rightly so. Royal Ascot behind closed doors is a nonsense only serving the gambling industry.’
Nick Smith interview transcript
Garry Richardson: How many involved in working behind closed doors and how would it be possible to run the meeting?
Nick Smith: This announcement was very much an intention to run the meeting subject to Government advice and the BHA advice, so not an announcement it is definitely going ahead. We are very conscious there is a road ahead. So we are planning to be ready if we can race and we will put a plan together to run the race meeting with the minimum number of staff required to do that.
What is the point of even planning when other sports events are off?
The Guineas and the Derby aren’t being cancelled, they’re being rescheduled for later in the summer…
But the Canadian Grand Prix (same weekend as Ascot) and The Open are off, so what is the actual point in running it behind closed doors?
For the industry really, it is a very complex industry, the breeding industry and the racing industry. If there is an opportunity for the horses to run it will be given and it will only be given to those horses in the eventuality we have the Government backing to do so.
How much money will you make from the meeting?
We will make no money, we will lose money considerably this year…
Then it seems a complete nonsense to run something that puts people’s lives possibly at risk. How can you guarantee social distancing for anyone working at Ascot?
That’s a very good question. Look at the model being applied currently in Australia and Hong Kong and Japan, they are running behind closed doors with models we will be looking at to make sure people are safe and if we are not confident or the Government aren’t confident, it will not go ahead.
You concede there would be a huge element of risk?
No, there certainly won’t be a huge element of risk because if there was an element of risk involved. Obviously there is going to be an element of risk but the risk at the point in time we start racing will be determined by the Government and we will follow Government directives.
If one person contracted coronavirus from going to Ascot and then passed it on, what would you think of your decision then?
I think we have to look at everything in the round. The Government, all sport together…
But can I ask you to specifically answer my question, what would you think if someone contracted coronavirus?
I think we have to take the whole resumption of sport in the round and racing will play its part in that.
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