Professional sport returned to Britain with a 10-race card at Newcastle on Monday

Just after 1pm, the stalls burst open on a gloriously sunny day at Newcastle, jockey James Sullivan sent 22-1 outsider Zodiakos into an early lead, and professional sport returned to Britain for the first time since March 17.

But the spectre of the coronavirus pandemic remains and this was a race meeting with a somewhat eerie feel – behind closed doors and with stringent measures in place to try and ensure the safety of the participants.

Perhaps the starkest reminder of this came in the paddock as the horses paraded before the races.

Normally a hive of activity, with owners, trainers, jockeys and broadcasters clustered together, while racegoers throng on the outskirts to assess the horses, the jockeys now cut isolated figures, alone and socially distanced as they waited to climb aboard their mounts.

The riders also had to wear face masks and admitted it made for a somewhat uncomfortable experience on a baking hot day.

Tony Hamilton, who was a winner on Brian The Snail said: “In the second race, the kickback got inside the mask and it was down my throat and I was nearly being sick pulling up.

“So I put tights underneath and now the kickback doesn’t get inside.

“But I’m the only person who’s had a problem with it and the masks are there for a reason, we all know what they’re for.”

The jockeys were also using a makeshift changing room in the stands to enable adequate social distancing.

But Paul Mulrennan seemed to speak for the majority when he said: “They’ve done a really good job here in a short space of time.

“It’s just great to be back and I hope we can push forward, crack on and get owners back.

“Riding in masks is a little bit different, but some of us use them on the all-weather anyway for the kickback, so it’s nothing too strange.”

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy made a successful return, winning on the promising Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old Alignak.

But the events of that race cast a pall over the day as December Second suffered a fatal injury when he was one of two fallers in the straight.

“He’s gone, I’m afraid,” said distraught trainer Phil Kirby.

A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson passed on his condolences to Kirby, the owners and stable staff, while also stressing that the welfare of the horses was very much paramount.

“Their safety has been an important consideration in our planning for return but it is impossible to remove risk altogether,” he said.

“On average a horse falls once in every 1000 runners in Flat races.

“Statistics shows that horses are more likely to suffer injury at home in a field than on a flat racecourse, and at the racecourse our horses have access to the best possible care.

“December Second was treated by vets within seconds of his fall.

“Those who watch the sport over the coming weeks will be left in no doubt about the exceptional welfare standards that British racing has in place.”

On a much happier note, a potential Classic contender emerged in the shape of Frankly Darling, who is as low as 10-1 with some bookmakers for the Investec Oaks at Epsom after an impressive win in the first division of the Betway Maiden.

Jockey Robert Havlin said: “She saw the mile and a quarter out well.

“She’s by no means a slow filly, but I think she can see the mile and a half out no problem.

“She’s filling into her frame nicely and she’s going the right way.”

In France, Victor Ludorum looked like he could be one of the stars of the season when he claimed Classic success in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Deauville, whetting the appetite ahead of our own Guineas Festival this weekend.

But perhaps the star of the day was that 22-1 outsider Zodiakos, a seven-year-old gelding who, having grabbed the early lead in the very first Newcastle race, simply refused to relinquish it.

He galloped on bravely for Sullivan, seeing off a host of challengers and winning by a neck, to enter the history books as the first winner, on the day professional sport returned in Britain after a lengthy hiatus.

(c) Sky Sports 2020: Professional sport returned to Britain with a 10-race card at Newcastle on Monday