Kentucky Derby officials 'very keen' as Chelmsford plans to rearrange qualifier

Talks between Chelmsford and Churchill Downs are ongoing as the Essex all-weather track hopes to reschedule its Kentucky Derby qualifier and boost opportunities for European runners to feature in America's biggest race.

The coronavirus pandemic has wiped out both the qualifying meeting at Chelmsford, in early April, and the American Classic. But the Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for September 5 and the race's officials are "very keen" for Chelmsford to provide a stepping stone in Europe a month before.

Runners in the Kentucky Derby are selected on a points-based system, with the top 20 scorers allowed to run. The news of interest in European runners is a timely boost at a time of uncertainty surrounding international travel due to the ongoing global crisis.

The first running of the Cardinal Stakes at Chelmsford last year was won by Bye Bye Hong Kong – who did not then go to America – but the race did feature the first horses trained by Aidan O'Brien to visit the course.

Fraser Garrity, racecourse manager at Chelmsford, said: "I've been in contact with the guys at Churchill Downs and they're still very keen for us to have a final European qualifier.

"We're looking at July or August for that but it's still early days. That'd be a mile conditions race, which would come a month or so before the Kentucky Derby."

Churchill Downs: home of the Kentucky DerbyCredit: Edward Whitaker

He added: "There's been so much disruption now it might be that this race is a fixed point in time that people can aim for. It might well be that, by that twist of unhappy fate, the race ends up being more attractive to trainers that have the right sort of horse and can target it accordingly."

Of the seven races in the Road to Kentucky series only three are staged in the same season, with the Churchill Downs Classic staged in May. Two of those, at Kempton and Dundalk, have already been run.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic has hit Chelmsford hard, according to Garrity. The course, reopened in 2015, has furloughed members of staff but ambitious plans to open a new turf track in the autumn are subject to funding from the Levy Board.

"We've been hit hard but like so many courses," added Garrity. "We take a financial hit on all the fixtures lost and we've had six lost in April. We've used the job retention scheme so quite a lot of the team are on furlough at the moment but we're making sure that everything is looking spot on for the resumption of racing.

"Our clerk of the course Andy [Waitt] along with our grounds manager Jamie [Waitt] have been working on it [the track] and continue to. But part of the masterplan is to use the Levy Board loan but we're currently waiting patiently to find out where we've got to on that.

"There are so many more major issues and considerations all coming together at once so we'll just wait. We're doing all that we can do at the moment."

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