Trainer Andrew Balding said he would rather see the G1 Investec Derby go ahead on a different date and on a different racecourse than usual than no Derby at all.
Jockey Club Racecourses revealed on Tuesday that the Guineas Festival, originally set for May 2 and 3, and the Investec Derby Festival on June 5 and 6 would definitely be pushed back, with dates to be decided when it is more clear when racing will resume.
Balding, who trains Guineas hopeful Kameko (Kitten's Joy), told Sky Sports Racing, “Obviously it's not quite the same test, but at the same time that is what happened in the war years and it's not unprecedented. I would much rather see a Derby run somewhere than no Derby at all. I think that would be a shame for the whole industry. The Classics are the most important races of the year and very much need to be restaged if they possibly can at whatever venue they can.
“Obviously it's a work in progress, but it's still a long summer and there's a lot of hope there we can get some sort of season together that would resemble what it would have done had this not happened.”
Balding said he is keeping his runners ticking over while awaiting news.
“We've just reduced the workload a little bit with all the horses to be honest,” he said. “The 2-year-olds are doing as they ever would at this stage of the season–we rarely have a 2-year-old runner before June anyway, so I cant say they're too affected. With the older horses, we've had to reduce the intensity of the work to some degree and just sit and wait and hope for happier times.”
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