Oli Bell is speaking to members of the racing community to see how they are coping during the shutdown. First up is jockey Martin Dwyer.
Martin Dwyer on life as a jockey during the shutdown
"It’s obviously very surreal and just sinking in at the moment.
"From a jockeys’ perspective it’s strange, we should be starting the turf season now and it’s been a long old winter but instead we are confined to home, with a little riding out.
"I suppose the main impact is a financial one. As in any walk of life some will have more worries than others on that score but it’s going to affect us all in one way or another. Everyone is in limbo at the minute and don’t really know what to do.
"We’re all self-employed, if you don’t go to the races, you don’t get paid. Paul Struthers and the staff at the Professional Jockeys’ Association are working tirelessly on trying to put some sort of package together to help riders and that’s ongoing, with Lisa Hancock and the Injured Jockeys’ Fund too.
"Everyone is waiting on news of that. Trying to keep fit and active is difficult too. We should be getting into full swing now but instead we find ourselves in limbo.
"We’re acutely aware there are people in the country in much worse situations than we are and I want to salute the teams who work for the NHS who are the real heroes right now.
"In our world we’re just worried about how long we’re going to be out of action, whether it’s six weeks or six months, nobody knows."
