Irish Classics in June could be homegrown affairs due to travel restrictions

Government regulations that anyone entering Ireland has to self-isolate for 14 days could result in ‘domestic only’ Classics next month due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, Horse Racing Ireland released its revamped fixture programme for June that will see the opening Curragh Classics of 2020 – the Tattersalls 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas – run on the first weekend back after racing resumes behind closed doors at Naas on June 8th.

The Guineas dates (June 12th-13th) are just a fortnight before the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, which retains its original date of June 27th.

It means that Ireland’s most valuable contest, traditionally the final leg of Europe’s three main Derby races, will this time be the first to be run.

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Plans in Britain are for the Epsom Derby to be run on July 4th while the French Derby is scheduled for a day later.

Although the British racing authorities will allow overseas-trained runners to line up in Group One events – including the Guineas races at Newmarket that are provisionally scheduled for June 5th – the practicalities of sending international horses here for big races in June may result in only locals lining up.

"The Government guidelines are there and they require people to isolate for 14 days. That is a complication so we will engage with overseas authorities and trainers that might be interested in having runners to see if it's achievable," HRI's chief executive Brian Kavanagh said.

Top trainer Ger Lyons has already ruled out running his Classic hope Siskin at Newmarket's Guineas if it goes ahead on June 5th. He has pointed out that sending Colin Keane to ride him there would necessitate the jockey being out of action for 14 days on his return.

It underlines how the real complicating factor around travelling horses between countries during the Coronavirus emergency is the people accompanying them.

One possible solution is that overseas connections who want to compete in Group One and Group Two races here in June could send a horse and have it handled by Irish staff while here and ridden by an Irish-based jockey.

HRI envisages all black type races being open to international competition in July but amid such uncertainty due to the wider public health crisis the first three Classics of 2020 may well turn out to be ‘domestic only’.

In the broader context there appears to be general support for HRI’s roadmap back into action in just over three weeks’ time.

The National Hunt sector, which had previously been planned not to take place until a month after any resumption, has been brought forward a couple of weeks and will begin on June 22th at Limerick.

"Everyone knew the first couple of weeks was going to be Flat and that's fully expected. I think it's good we're getting back. I'm happy enough and hopefully everything will go well between now and then," said top jumps trainer, Gordon Elliott.

As in France when it resumed racing last Monday, there will be tiered prizemoney cuts here with a focus on maintaining levels at the lower and medium level as much as possible.

Minimum value races will be cut by a €1,000 to a value of €9,000. In contrast the value of Group One races will be cut by between 30 and 50 per cent.

The Irish Derby’s value has been halved to €750,000. The Guineas races will be worth €250,000 each.

Racing is set to resume here 11 weeks after it was shut down due to the public health emergency and HRI has published extensive protocols to be followed by the minimum number of professionals allowed attend fixtures.

For the first three weeks racing will be restricted to nine centrally located racecourses in order to minimise travel distances.

They are Naas, Gowran, the Curragh, Roscommon, Limerick and the four HRI operated tracks at Navan, Tipperary, Fairyhouse and Leopardstown.

“All things being equal these will be afternoon fixtures rather than evening,” Brian Kavanagh said on Sunday. “Evening fixtures in summer are for attracting attendance which is irrelevant now.”

Wherever possible there will be eight-race cards to maximise opportunities for the horse population. Forty-eight hour declarations will be used throughout June to assist with procedures such as anyone going racing having to fill out a health questionnaire the day before.

June Fixtures (Flat unless otherwise indicated)

June 8th – Naas
June 9th – Leopardstown
June 10th – Navan
June 11th – Gowran Park
June 12th – Curragh (2,000 Guineas)
June 13th – Curragh (1,000 Guineas)
June 14th – Leopardstown
June 15th – Fairyhouse, Roscommon
June 17th – Gowran Park, Limerick
June 18th – Fairyhouse
June 19th – Tipperary, Gowran Park
June 20th – Naas
June 21st – Leopardstown
June 22nd – Roscommon, Limerick (NH)
June 23rd – Navan
June 24th – Naas, Roscommon (NH)
June 25th – Fairyhouse
June 26th – Curragh, Tipperary (NH)
June 27th – Curragh (Derby)
June 28th – Curragh
June 29th – Limerick, Kilbeggan (NH)