The British Horseracing Authority say they are increasingly confident racing will be cleared to resume from June 1, starting with Monday's card at Newcastle.
There has been no horse racing in the UK since March 17 when the sport was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic but hopes are high that an end to a very long wait could be close at hand.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday a further easing of lockdown measures in England and although sport was not specifically referenced, the BHA are optimistic they will be given the green light to restart.
A 10-race card at Newcastle is pencilled in to take place on Monday afternoon with a bumper weekend, featuring both the Guineas and Coronation Cup, to follow at Newmarket.
A BHA spokesman commented on Friday that a return to racing, albeit behind closed doors, was right around the corner as they pressed ahead with getting the necessary medical protocols in place.
The BHA told the Racing Post: “We're counting down the hours to the return of racing and looking forward to official confirmation from the UK government after it has published its guidelines for the resumption of sport in the next day or so. The long break is nearly over.
“This morning, we've been busy processing the declarations received for Newcastle's fixture on 1 June and we are now implementing our new medical screening procedures to ensure we safeguard those who plan to be there on Monday for racing's return.”
