Watch Raceday Live on Sky Sports Racing from 9am, with the first race at Newcastle at 1pm
Monday 1 June 2020 11:26, UK
Racing will resume behind closed doors at Newcastle on Monday after the government gave its permission for competitive sport in Britain to restart from June 1.
Newcastle will stage a bumper 10-race card and a brilliant day of action on Sky Sports Racing will also include the French equivalents of the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, live from Deauville.
Keith Downie will be reporting from the track for Sky Sports News and there will be interviews in the morning with Martin Cruddace, the CEO of Arena Racing Company, and BHA chief executive Nick Rust.
You can also follow the racing action and reaction right here, as we will be running a live blog from 12pm until the final race at Newcastle.
The 'stage three' guidance for elite and professional sport, published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on Saturday, outlines the facilities and processes that will need to be in place for sport to be safely staged following the coronavirus pandemic.
The guidance has been developed in close consultation with the Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Public Health England and medical representatives across sport, including the British Horseracing Authority.
Racing's rulers have been working towards June 1 as a start date for some time and published a 33-page protocol document last weekend. Newcastle will mark the first British meeting since Wetherby and Taunton raced on March 17.
In what will be a high-profile return, the 2000 and 1000 Guineas will be run at Newmarket on June 6 and 7 respectively, forming the highlights of a four-day fixture at Headquarters.
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: "The wait is over. Live British sport will shortly be back on in safe and carefully controlled environments.
"This guidance provides the safe framework for sports to resume competitions behind closed doors. It is now up to individual sports to confirm they can meet these protocols and decide when it's right for them to restart.
"This is a significant moment for British sport. By working with clinicians every step of the way, we are creating the safest possible environments for everyone involved."
The government's decision has been welcomed by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) which says livelihoods in the multi-billion pound industry are threatened.
"This is an important stage towards a complete return for our industry and will help protect livelihoods and businesses," BHA chief executive Nick Rust said.
"The timing is crucial for the breeding sector and we thank the government and officials at DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) and Public Health England for their assistance in planning a safe return to racing.
"There is still a tough battle ahead before we can get fully back in business but this is a resilient and world-leading industry and we are ready for the task."
Horse racing will adopt a three-stage screening process in order to comply with the government guidelines.
Those working at the course will undergo medical checks before departure and on arrival, social distancing officials will be in place and no spectators will be allowed.
The Jockey Club said the resumption of horse racing was a huge boost to an industry worth around four billion pounds.
"The lockdown has been an incredibly hard period for our industry and it will be a long road back to recovery," group chief executive Delia Bushell said.
"Across British Racing, a huge amount of planning, effort and care has gone into ensuring we are ready to resume fixtures in the most responsible way."
Newcastle's opening meeting will be a 10-race card, beginning at 1.00pm, with the last event at 6.15pm. All races will be restricted to 12 runners.
Both Newcastle and Kempton will race on June 2, followed by Kempton and Yarmouth on June 3 and Newcastle and Newmarket on June 4.
Lingfield and Newmarket feature on June 5, with those tracks also in action on June 6 together with Newcastle. Haydock and Lingfield join Newmarket on June 7, while Chelmsford, Haydock and Lingfield take centre stage on June 8.
Newmarket's Friday card will be headlined by the Coronation Cup, which has been moved from Epsom, plus the Paradise Stakes and Abernant Stakes. Lingfield hosts its Derby and Oaks trials that day.
Royal Ascot remains in its traditional spot in the calendar this year, beginning on June 16. The Derby and Oaks have been pencilled in for July 4.
