Irish horse racing to return at Naas on 8 June
- Published
There has been no racing in Ireland since 24 March
Naas will host the resumption of Irish horse racing behind closed doors on 8 June.
The Irish 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas will take place on the first weekend back at the Curragh on 12 and 13 June.
The Irish Derby retains its traditional date on Saturday, 27 June, as does the Irish Oaks on Saturday, 18 July.
A reduction in prize money will take immediate effect with the possibility of further adjustments through the rest of the year.
For the first three weeks, racing will be restricted to nine courses which are more centrally located to minimise travel distances.
Racecourses which have higher stable capacities have been selected given the requirement for one stable per horse under the new protocols.
It has been agreed that Cork racecourse will not be among those used in June when it will continue to serve an important role as an HSE Test Centre for Covid-19.
Eight-race cards will be staged, where possible, to maximise opportunities for the horse population and limits will be decided on a racecourse by racecourse basis to accommodate each track's social distancing requirements, with an initial general maximum limit of 18.
International participation will be restricted to Group One and Group Two races only for June, all of which must be in strict compliance with Government policy on the movement of people in and out of the country.
Horse Racing Ireland say it is envisaged that all Black Type races will be open to international competition from the start of July.
Flat racing will dominate the first two weeks of the revised calendar while National Hunt racing will resume with action at Limerick on Monday, 22 June.