RACING resumes today, after a six-day gap due to the outbreak of equine flu.

However, some stables deemed most at risk may have to wait a little longer before they can have runners. Their identities were being finalised.

Most of our local trainers have made entries for today, at meetings up and down the country, and will be glad to be back in action.

The suspension of the sport meant some abrupt changes of plan for the staff of Chepstow and Ffos Las racecourses on Thursday. At about 4am that morning Phil Bell, the executive director of both courses, woke up, unable to sleep. He couldn’t resist the lure of checking his phone, which is when he found out that late the previous evening the BHA had cancelled that day’s fixtures, one of which was at Ffos Las.

When he was certain he wasn’t dreaming, he swung into action.

“I got dressed and went into the office,” he said.

“I was soon joined by our marketing manager and clerk of the course. First of all, we updated the racecourse website, Facebook and Twitter pages. This meant the news would be picked up as people surfaced for the day.

“We then started contacting everyone due to work at the race meeting – doctors, ambulance staff, vets, the photographer, catering staff, car parkers, turnstile staff, the race day announcer, etc.

"Then, as soon as we got past 8am, we telephoned or e-mailed everyone who had bought tickets for general admission, hospitality or the restaurant. By 9.30am everyone had been contacted.

"I then started to liaise with our head office about the implications of the outbreak.”

At the final meeting before racing was suspended, local trainers Ron Harris, David Evans and Milton Bradley supplied the second, third and fourth in a race at Wolverhampton.

For the second time in a row, Harris’ Eye Of The Water was made favourite and both times he finished second. He didn’t have the best of draws and his turn should come before long.

In third place was Evans’ Not So Shy. Her record is now 0-14, but only five of those have been with the Pandy-based trainer. Connections will surely keep trying to get a win out of this filly, improving her potential resale value.

Bradley’s filly Wye Bother rarely beat another horse in ten outings last year but he has conjured up some improvement from her now and her two runs on the Tapeta at Wolverhampton have seen her finish fourth each time. She will probably win a little race one day.

Harris’ Secret Potion was a fast-finishing runner-up in the last race before the unexpected break and he looks ready to win again.

Business is brisk for Chepstow’s next meeting, on Saturday the 23rd. Racegoers and rugby fans have been snapping up special advance tickets for just £10, which is half the price admission will be on the day.

In addition to seven jump races, both Six Nations matches will be shown on the big screen and other TVs on the course.