Bullish bookmakers have said they hope racing returns “as soon as possible” after all of Thursday’s horse races were cancelled due to equine flu.
All UK horse racing meetings have been called off by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after the outbreak.
It is the first such cancellation since the outbreak of foot and mouth in 2001. A decision was expected on Thursday whether racing will remain off for the foreseeable future.
The uncertainty has raised questions about bookies' ability to cope, especially with football – another major market – a no-go on Thursday with just four professional matches scheduled in Europe.
But top UK betting companies told the Standard punters will quickly change allegiances to other sports.
Mark Pearson, of Betfred, also pointed out international horse racing events are still going ahead as planned.
He said: “Fortunately, we have still got races in Ireland and Dubai, as well as the rugby Super League and the darts Premier League.”
But he added: “We are crossing our fingers racing resumes as soon as possible.”
Asked about the impact of losing UK horse racing for a day, Mr Pearson said: “If it’s one day, it’s unfortunate but we can deal with it. And we support the quick decision made by the BHA last night.”
Simon Clare, of Coral, said: “First and foremost, the welfare of racehorses is the priority here, so the BHA's swift action is very welcome.
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“At this time of year it's not unusual to have blank days of UK racing, though usually as a result of bad weather. So the betting sector is well practised at ensuring there is plenty of other betting opportunities for our customers.”
Mr Clare added the international race meetings, as well as greyhound racing this afternoon, will keep punters ticking over.