Down royal chairman Jim Nicholson yesterday claimed that the Ulster racing industry has been effectively closed by the decision of the Northern Ireland Executive to put racing on hold during the month of May.

A shock recommendation states that at Down Royal on May 7th and Downpatrick on May 18th-19th should not go ahead.

Amiwain shaped promisingly when second on his reappearance in the Prix Djebel at Longchamp yesterday. Andre Fabre's charge, one of two Sagitta 2,000 Guineas entries in the Listed seven-furlong contest, ran on well but failed by a length and a half to peg back Greengroom on testing ground.