Mass brawl at Haydock Park ends miserable week for British racing

February 2019 has been a torrid month for British horse racing. The recent outbreak of equine flu resulted in racing being suspended for the best part of a week. The ban was introduced by the BHA to limit the outbreak further.

This weekend saw the ban lifted and punters flocked to courses across the country. However, some racegoers celebrated a little too hard at Haycock Races on Saturday. A brawl involving over 50 people was reported at the course. Security staff struggled to contain the violence which spilled over from the concourse into the stands. The meeting is a popular fixture with families, and the featured race ‘The Grand National Trial’ was won by Robinsfirth, a horse who doesn’t have an entry in the Grand National 2019 renewal. Still, it was the ugly fight scenes which garnered the headlines.

The fight occurred shortly before the final race of the day. At one point, a mother and her young child were caught between the two groups fighting at the Merseyside course. The mum of one, from Greater Manchester, said that in five years of going to Haydock she’d never seen any trouble. Police quizzed a man after the brawl and made one arrest on suspicion of affray and drug possession. On Sunday, a spokesman for Haydock added: “We are extremely disappointed by the incident, which is completely out of character with a jumps fixture in February.”

The incident on Saturday comes on the back of similar fights which have marred the reputation of horse racing. Ascot racecourse erupted in violence in 2018. Well-heeled punters traded blows at the usually reserved venue. That brawl left six people injured. In August, 12 people were arrested after another brawl at Goodwood Races.

Traditional racing fans are blaming these incidents on alcohol-fuelled hooligans. Authorities are being urged to address the problem of excessive drinking at meetings. With the 2019 Grand National and Cheltenham festival months away. Racing fans will be hoping these high profile meeting can avoid the scenes which have marred the sport recently.

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In the hullabaloo surrounding the Grand National Trial, the actual race result was lost in the noise. Yet, the race was a decent encounter which gave us a few clues ahead of the big one at Aintree on the 6th April. Grand National entrant Royal Vacation (10-1) ran a decent race and trainer Joe Tizzard added: “Royal Vacation probably travelled better than anything but just flattened out (in fourth), I’d imagine it will be Aintree for him.”

Venetia Williams’ Yala Enki – is another horse who could bid for glory in the Aintree marathon on April 6, he finished fifth here. Previously, the eight-year-old horse finished third in the Coral Welsh National a few months ago. Yala Enki is currently a 66/1 shot for the Aintree Grand National.