Racing unfazed by French U-turn
BRITISH racing remains on course for a June 1 coronavirus comeback – despite the dramatic shutdown of racecourses in Paris.
ParisLongchamp staged the postCOVID-19 resumption of racing in France with a big-money card 10 days ago.
But the sport met with a shock setback on Tuesday afternoon when France Galop announced that action in the coronavirus high-risk ‘red zone’ covering Paris and the north east of the country was suspended with immediate effect.
The news triggered fears that the restart in Britain, scheduled for June 1, was in jeopardy as result – with anxiety heightened by the fact that Newcastle, due to host the first fixture back, is in the heart of the region with the highest infection rate.
However, moving to allay concerns yesterday, a British Horseracing Authority spokesman said: “Our proposal has always been that racing will be ready to return safely in Britain as soon as the UK Government permits the resumption of sporting events.
“Our plans are being developed with officials from Public Health England and will be in line with UK government policy.
“We are making good progress as we prepare for a resumption on June 1.”
The French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas will be run on their rearranged date of June 1 at Deauville.
The Normandy course, set in low-risk ‘green zone’, was the venue for the one-mile Classics in 2016 and 2017 while Longchamp was undergoing redevelopment.
ParisLongchamp’s cards scheduled for today and Sunday have been switched to Deauville.
A decision on racing’s can return to Paris will be made when the government reappraises lockdown measures next month.