Grand National meeting at Aintree called off because of coronavirus outbreak

The Grand National Meeting due to be held at Aintree next month has been called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting, including the sport’s most famous race, was due to take place from 2-4 April, but has been cancelled after the government announced it would stop supporting mass gatherings with emergency services as the Covid-19 outbreak worsens.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also advised against all non-essential travel and unnecessary social contact, leading organisers to give up on hopes of staging the meeting behind closed doors.

A statement from Sandy Dudgeon, senior steward of The Jockey Club said: “The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health must come first.

“We were working on a plan to stage the Grand National behind closed doors given its importance to the racing industry and beyond, but following the new Government measures confirmed this evening to help to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, this is not a viable option.”

The cancellation comes less than a week after the Cheltenham Festival was allowed to go ahead as usual, as authorities followed government advice which at that point placed no restrictions on mass gatherings.

The cancellation will come as a huge blow to fans of the sport, with two-time winner Tiger Roll set to bid for an unprecedented hat-trick of Grand National wins.

“I know this is hugely disappointing news for the many people who work in our sport and the many millions who were looking forward to this year’s event," Dudgeon added. "But very sadly these are exceptional times and this is the responsible thing to do.”