Racing in France will be back on Monday after late talks helped stave off the threat of further delays.
No meetings have been held since March due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but late last month the racing and trotting authorities held discussions with the departments of agriculture about potential plans for return.
An agreement was made on the basis that racing be staged behind closed doors and that the strictest sanitary standards be upheld.
Plans were even drawn up to exclude Parisian circuits due to the capital being the most serious centre for Covid-19 in the country. However, the police authorities in the city deemed it suitable to resume earlier this week.
Even so, reports on Friday emerged that there had been a late challenge from an unknown source, perhaps in relation to all team sports being banned until September in France.
After talks between the relevant parties, France Galop president Edouard de Rothschild confirmed on Saturday morning that racing will resume at the start of next week.
Rothschild tweeted: “This was a race I wanted to win more than any other. The return to racing has been accepted. Now let us show them that they were right!”
Three meetings are planned for Monday, with Longchamp, where there will be four Group races, Compiegne and Toulouse all set to go ahead.
