Blockbuster Return to British Racing Set for June

British racing is planning for a blockbuster return as the first two classics of the season remain scheduled for the first weekend in June within the latest provisional program put forward by the British Horseracing Authority.

On May 11, the government announced that professional sport will not be staged in England until June 1 at the earliest, forcing the BHA's flat pattern committee to adjust its revised schedule published May 1.

It had hoped to run several high-profile stakes races during the final two weekends of May in the lead-up to the QIPCO Two Thousand (G1) and One Thousand Guineas (G1), but instead a number of pattern contests will be staged in the first week of racing, and all will be open to international runners.

Royal Ascot, which is set to take place behind closed doors, remains scheduled for its usual slot between June 16 and 20, but there will be some changes to the order of the races. 

Epsom will then host the Investec Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1) on July 4, after receiving official local approval May 12 to stage the classics, with normal public access to racecourse land forbidden for 24 hours.

In a bumper weekend, the Coral-Eclipse (G1) has been pushed back a day to July 5 and will only be open to 4-year-olds and older.

"The important thing is that the race planning around Royal Ascot reflects the unusual circumstances in which it's going to be run," said Nick Smith, the director of racing and public affairs at Ascot.

"We must be mindful of the wider public health situation in June, but we should still plan to go ahead and put together a pattern that reflects the requirements of those involved in the sport. It will be different but will still absolutely be recognizable as Royal Ascot. 

"With the Guineas much closer to the meeting than normal, we'll have to work out how that affects our 3-year-old races, and it's obviously not an ideal situation preparing juveniles for Royal Ascot.

"Ordinarily, you'd have considerably more time, but those 2-year-old races will be run, and clearly they won't attract the number of experienced horses as normal. Alongside the pattern races, it's really important to develop a program for as many juveniles as possible to get to Royal Ascot with some experience under their belts."

A provisional race program for the first seven days of non-pattern races was released May 7, with meetings divided regionally, and the BHA expects to publish further detail on this period, as well as a provisional schedule for the second seven-day window, this week. 

A statement released by the BHA on May 13 read: "The aim remains to provide, as soon as possible, at least one pattern or listed opportunity covering the key distances for the different sections of the population for 3-year-olds and up, with a suitable number of novice and conditions races for 2-year-olds scheduled to ensure horses can have a chance to run prior to Royal Ascot.

"This provisional plan may need to be adjusted according to when and under what circumstances racing is safely able to recommence."

*Note: Distance change of the Dahlia to 1 1/4m