The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has issued an update from the Flat Pattern Committee which outlines a revised schedule of Pattern and Listed races for the end of May and early June.
With the aim to “prioritise the Classics and other flagship races for horses most likely to provide a future fundamental role on behalf of the breed”, the committee, working under a “best-case scenario” for a mid-May resumption of racing in Britain, is planning to rescue a number of abandoned races from the early part of the season. These include the G1 Lockinge S., originally schedule for May 16 but now likely to be run a fortnight later. Newmarket's and Newbury's Classic trials, the Craven S., Nell Gwyn S., Greenham S. and Fred Darling S., will be run on the same weekend but on different days. The Fred Darling is set to be run at a mile this year instead of seven furlongs and the G3 Palace House S. will be extended in distance to five and a half furlongs.
The provisional plan for black-type races based on racing resuming on May 15 is:
Weekend 1: May 23-24
- Pavilion (6f 3yo Group 3)
- Nell Gwyn (7f 3yo f Group 3)
- Craven (8f 3yo cg Group 3)
- Greenham (7f 3yo cg Group 3)
- Fred Darling (8f 3yo f Group 3)
- Brigadier Gerard (10f 4+ Group 3)
- Conqueror (8f 4+ Listed)
- Pinnacle (12f 4+ f Group 3)
- Sagaro (16f 4+ Group 3)
- Aston Park (12f 4+ Group 3)
- Paradise (8f 4+ Listed)
Weekend 2: May 30-31
- Lockinge (8f 4+ Group 1)
- Palace House (5½f 3+ Group 3)
- Yorkshire Cup (14f 4+ Group 2)
- Dante (10f 3yo Group 2)
- Musidora (10f 3yo f Group 3)
- Cecil Frail (6f 3+ f Listed)
- Spring Trophy (7f 3+ Group 3)
- Middleton (10f 4+ f Group 2)
A statement released by the BHA to stakeholders on Friday read, “It is possible that the races listed may not be staged at their traditional venues and may need to be hosted at alternative racecourses. Again, this is dependent on wider circumstances, the available fixtures and the public health guidance in place at the time.
“It is also likely that racing will be restricted to domestic (GB-trained) runners only, initially at least until 30 May, in line with a similar approach taken by other international racing jurisdictions. France has confirmed that no foreign runners will be permitted until 1 June; with Germany extending its restriction on foreign runners until at least 31 May (from 22 May).”
On Thursday the Resumption of Racing Group issued an update stating that racecourses have been invited to submit expressions of interest to stage fixtures under plans for the resumption of racing which involve a phased approach
The provisional plan works on the basis that the first Classics of the season, the 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas, will be run on the first weekend of June. That same weekend will also include the G1 Coronation Cup, which remains in its traditional time slot despite the fact that the Derby and the Oaks are likely to be run on the first weekend of July. The Derby and Oaks trials, the Pretty Polly S. and Newmarket S., both listed races, will also be held on this weekend along with the G3 Bronte Cup for staying fillies and mares which was run for the first time in 2018 at York.
At present, Royal Ascot remains in its scheduled five-day slot which begins on Tuesday, June 16, and will be run behind closed doors.
The list of stakes races which have had to be abandoned for 2020 comprises six Group 2 races—including the Temple S., Jockey Club S. and Dahlia S.—nine Group 3s and 37 listed races.
The BHA also issued a note of caution alongside the revised schedule. It stated, “We must emphasise that this provisional plan is based on our best-case scenario and may need to be adjusted according to when and under what circumstances racing is safely able to recommence.”
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