And the domino effect is in play again.
As of Wednesday, horse racing in both Ireland and Canada will shut down.
Australia remains one of the last bastions of strength available for global punters.
Ireland tried to stay going on behind closed doors but the government stepped in and ordered the shut down.
Ireland’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said in a Government briefing in Dublin on Tuesday evening: “All sporting events are cancelled, including those being held behind closed doors.”
Which horse racing was doing.
The Irish Grand National meeting, which was due to take centre stage at Fairyhouse race track on Easter weekend between April 11-13, is one of the key fixtures which will be lost.
In Canada, the sport is being partly funded by government and it too has ordered Woodbine to post pone its start of the season.
Racing was due to commence on April 18.
Horses are allowed to stay in the backstretch stabling area but are not permitted to train on the main tracks after it was announced yesterday that the start date for this year’s Woodbine season would now be delayed.
Light jogging is all that is allowed.
No new start date has been issued.
