Strong ticket sales for Redcar with fans set to return to racecourses

Tickets are being snapped up for Redcar's opening meeting by fans eager to watch live sport at the first opportunity.

The North Yorkshire track joins Windsor, Leicester and Carlisle as the first racing venues to welcome a crowd on May 17.

The day marks a milestone as the nation takes the next step in the government's 'roadmap' out of lockdown.

As well as racing, the final weekend of Premier League is to be played live in front of supporters, while away from sport, the plans include restaurants reopening indoors.

Redcar last staged a meeting with a crowd in October 2019 and that year its final three fixtures were scrapped due to the weather.

A total of 850 tickets are on sale for the opening fixture, just a week away on Monday.

General manager Amy Fair said the date cannot come quick enough, with its popular Zetland Gold Cup day scheduled soon after on May 31.

"The racecourse is a very strange place to be without the public here, so we are really looking forward to May 17," she said.

"Ticket sales are really quite strong, we are selling all the time. People are keen to come racing again.

"Normally we could have a crowd of 10,000, but with the restrictions and setting out the green and amber zone we have had to reduce the number for general admission."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has limited outdoor events to run at 50 per cent capacity or with 4,000 people, whichever figure is lower.

David Maykels, general manager at Leicester, is cautious about reaching an attendance of 600, as many racegoers turn up on the day.

Adverts are informing people to book in advance for track and trace purposes.

"It's hard for us to gauge how it will go, but it will be nice to welcome people back," he said.

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