UK bookmakers urge Aintree's Grand National to delay race until betting shops reopen

UK bookies are urging organizers of Aintree's Grand National to push the race back until betting shops are allowed to reopen per England's roadmap out of the lockdown announced Monday by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Grand National is due to take place on April 10, just two days before non-essential retail, including betting shops, reopens on April 12.

Ladbrokes Coral PR director Simon Clare is suggesting the sport could give itself a much-needed financial boost by delaying the Randox Grand National so that it can be run with shops open again, Liverpool Echo reports. The National is by far the biggest betting race of the year, worth an estimated £300million in turnover.

Clare said: "Now we've seen the dates for the Government road map - which are provisional - and the fact that there is potential for betting shops to open on April 12, the obvious issue is the Grand National. It is the biggest betting race of the year - the race which millions of people enjoy as a national celebration. It was lost to the pandemic in 2020, and would take place two days before the shops open this year. It is the one race where betting shops provide a big service. There are a lot of once-a-year punters who want to come and have a bet on the big race."

Racing administrators have had to adapt to a series of challenges posed by the pandemic over the past 12 months, first with a halted fixture list, then a suspension of attendance for owners and spectators and shop closures also impacting on revenue. Only recently, the winter weather has brought its challenges, too - but racing administrators were quick to draw up rescheduling plans to save big meetings lost to the freeze.

Clare concedes it may not ultimately prove possible to push the race back by a few days or up to a week. But he is pinning his hopes on another example of the resourcefulness which has helped the British Horseracing Authority, Jockey Club and other stakeholder administrators plot a path through the pandemic so far.

Officials at Ascot are considering the dilemma of whether to try to put the five-day Royal meeting back a week in the hope of having a full crowd. As the road map currently stands, a limited number would be allowed at the current dates of 15-19 June - but restrictions could be lifted in their entirety on 21 June.