British racing remains on course for a June 1 coronavirus comeback - despite the dramatic shutdown of racecourses in Paris. ParisLongchamp staged the post-COVID-19 resumption of racing in France with a big-money card 10 days ago.
But the sport met with a shock setback on Tuesday afternoon when France Galop announced that action in the coronavirus high-risk ‘red zone’ covering Paris and the north east of the country was suspended with immediate effect.
The news triggered fears that the restart in Britain, scheduled for June 1, was in jeopardy as result - with anxiety heightened by the fact that Newcastle, due to host the first fixture back, is in the heart of region with the highest infection rate.