The thrum of hooves pounding the ground returned to Newcastle racecourse on Monday as competitive sport resumed in England after the shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I was so nervous about today as there is was a lot of expectation on us as we are the first sport back," Martin Cruddace, CEO of ARC racing who own the course, said of the 10-race card, featuring 45 jockeys and 120 horses. With Premier League soccer gearing up for a return on June 17, all eyes were on Newcastle after the government on Saturday gave the green light for a return of competitive sport in England, provided strict criteria, including no spectators and a raft of health measures, were met.