Racing got the go ahead today to resume next month but it is still unlikely Irish horses will travel to Britain in the near future.
The Irish Horseracing Authority (IHA) announced that racing would restart at Leopardstown and Cork on April 14th (Easter Saturday). They will be the first fixtures in Ireland since the meeting at Naas on February 25th.
Racing had been banned in a move aimed at preventing foot and mouth disease reaching the country
Martin Moore, the chief executive of the IHA, said: "We plan to meet with the Department of Agriculture and the Turf Club over the coming days to finalise the controls and the code of practice required for the resumption of racing.
"In the short-term I do not expect any change in the restrictions on the import of horses to Ireland from the United Kingdom."
Moore did not comment on the possibility of Irish horses being able to travel to Britain. But the guideline still stands that Irish horses should not travel overseas.
This means that it is likely Ireland will still have no runners at the Grand National meeting or the rescheduled Cheltenham Festival.
The Trainers' Association is planning to meet members of the Department of Agriculture on Monday. It is expected that it will be agreed to stick by the guidelines not to send Irish horses to Britain for the time being.
Twenty three Irish race meetings will have been lost by the time sport finally resumes. The IHA's decision will allow Fairyhouse's Easter Festival to run as scheduled from April 15th-18th.
Another big jumping event, the Punchestown Festival, will go ahead as planned from April 24th-28th. Consultations will take place to put on replacement fixtures in May and throughout the summer.