Racing set to resume on June 1 with all-weather fixture at Newcastle

Horseracing in Britain is scheduled to return with an eight-race card on the all-weather at Newcastle on Monday June 1, according to the BHA's initial schedule for the resumption of the sport, which was released on Thursday evening.

The schedule details all the races and meetings for the first eight days when the sport returns with the action continuing from Newcastle and Kempton on Tuesday. Kempton will also be racing on Wednesday, where it hosts the rearranged Classic Trial – which will become the first Group race since the shutdown of the sport.

The Coronation Cup, meanwhile, will be staged at Newmarket and headlines an action-packed Friday. The Brigadier Gerard, Paradise and Abernant Stakes support the Group 1 event, moved from Epsom. Lingfield hosts a stellar card on Friday as well, featuring their Oaks and Derby trials.

The first eight days: BHA's proposed fixture list

June 1 Newcastle
June 2 Kempton, Newcastle
June 3 Kempton, Yarmouth
June 4 Newcastle, Newmarket
June 5 Lingfield, Newmarket
June 6 Lingfield, Newcastle, Newmarket
June 7 Haydock, Lingfield, Newmarket
June 8 Chelmsford, Haydock, Lingfield

As confirmed on Wednesday evening, the 2,000 Guineas will be held on Saturday June 6 and the 1,000 Guineas on the following day. It was confirmed on Thursday that the Lockinge Stakes will not be rearranged, making it the only Group 1 to be cancelled in Britain this season.

Racing will also be held at Haydock and Chelmsford while Yarmouth has a fixture scheduled for Wednesday.

There are 18 meetings scheduled for the eight days. Of the 149 races, 96 are handicaps which equates to 64 per cent – a decrease from the 73 per cent in the initial plan released by the Resumption of Racing Group. 14 of the races are for two-year-olds, an additional two.

Newmarket: racing returns to HQ on Thursday June 4Credit: Edward Whitaker

The press release also confirmed changes to handicap measures. A horse will be eligible for a rating if they win and race again or if they finish in the first six in two starts. The BHA handicapping team will now be assigning ratings to horses that have already met this criteria.

There are no regional restrictions on runners after resumption while details on foreign-trained runners are expected tomorrow.

Jump racing will remain suspended until July 1 but the BHA confirmed they would be amending the dates in which a horse is still valid as a novice. Horses that have won since February remain a novice until November 30.

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