The first horse racing event following the coronavirus suspension could be held in Newcastle.
The British Horseracing Authority revealed part of its post Covid-19 strategy on Thursday, with a possible 13 meetings taking place in the first week of the sport’s retun, the Mirror reports.
The BHA has consistently held back from putting a date on the restart, but last night stressed: “We remain strongly focused on ensuring that we are prepared to resume at the earliest possible opportunity.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to ease the coronavirus lockdown restrictions when he addresses the nation at 7pm on Sunday.
And BHA chiefs, who meet with industry leaders the following morning, have inked in Gosforth Park in Newcastle on May 15 as the first action in Britain since March 17 - followed by six days of two cards each.
A spokesman for Newcastle’s owners, Arena Racing Company, said on Thursday evening: “We have been working with BHA and other stakeholders on the various plans to resume racing and have made sure that everything is in place for our racecourses to get back in to action as soon as we are given the go ahead.”
But the resumption would depend on what Mr Johnson says in his statement on Sunday evening.
Race planners have divided Britain into geographical regions - North, South and Midlands - with Haydock Park tipped to stage Newbury’s Guineas trials, the Greenham Stakes and Fred Darling stakes, a fortnight on Saturday.
But Irish racing was dealt a hammer blow with the news it cannot make its restart from the Covid-19 blackout until 29 June.
Horse Racing Ireland has sought clarification from the Irish government since last Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced his five-phase roadmap for the relaxing of controls last Friday.
