The Derby took a step towards being run at Epsom in 2020 as local council bosses pledged to explore “every possible way” to keep the Classic at its traditional home.
The public right of way over Epsom Downs - both the Derby and Oaks will be run behind closed doors thanks to the coronavirus pandemic - triggered fears the races would be moved, with Newmarket the favourite to act as stand-in.
But Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Epsom, has tabled proposals to create a temporary exclusion zone around the course on July 4, the revised date for the two Investec-sponsored Classics.
Marcus Tregoning, who saddled Sir Percy to lift a dramatic Derby in 2006, welcomed the initiative as “the best option”. “It would be perfect if it could be run