BRITISH racing has been cancelled until 1 May at the earliest due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But racing continues behind closed doors in other parts of the world, so here is your definitive guide to help you get your fix over the next six weeks.
Australia (Live coverage on Sky Sports Racing)
Racing has been continuing behind closed doors in Australia for over a week. There are some massive days in the Aussie Flat calendar coming up, starting this Saturday in Sydney.
Rosehill hosts the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race worth a cool A$3.5m.
The current favourite is Tagaloa, who won the big Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield before finishing second in a trial for this contest last time out.
Tom Marquand has enjoyed plenty of success during his stint Down Under this winter, and he has a ride in the big one aboard the exciting Prague.
Elsewhere on the card, there is the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (a race dominated by Winx in recent years) and the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes, which features the William Haggas-trained Addeybb.
The horse, who will be very familiar with British punters having finished second in the Champion Stakes in October, is using this race as a prep for the A$2m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on 11 April.
Meanwhile, Haggas has also sent Young Rascal to Australia, and he will have his Sydney Cup (11 April) preparation in the Group 3 Manion Cup at Rosehill on Saturday.
This weekend is the start of a huge Autumn carnival in Sydney, and next weekend (28 March) the action returns to Rosehill with two more Group 1s, headlined by the 1m4f Tancred Stakes.
A week later (4 April), the carnival heads to Randwick, with the Australian Derby one of four Group 1 contests on the card.
The meeting also features the T J Smith Stakes, a top-class sprint won by the likes of Black Caviar and Chautauqua in the past; the Doncaster Mile, a prestigious handicap won by Winx in 2016; and the Inglis Sires’, a big two-year-old contest over 7f.
Seven days later (11 April), both Addeybb and Young Rascal should be flying the British flag in the Queen Elizabeth II and Sydney Cup, which head up another Group 1-laden card.
On the final weekend of the carnival (18 April), there is the Group 1 Champagne Stakes for juveniles and the Group 1 All Aged Stakes over 7f.
The final Saturday in April sees the high-class action head north to Brisbane, where the Queensland Guineas is the feature contest at Eagle Farm racecourse.
Check out the Aussie form and racecards here
Ireland (Live coverage on Racing TV)
Racing has been carrying on behind closed doors in Ireland for the past five days, and HRI will be meeting today to discuss whether this strategy can continue.
The sport appears to be running smoothly enough under the current restrictions, so fingers crossed they can keep the European show on the road for as long as possible.
There are 40 fixtures scheduled between now and the end of April, including the start of the Irish Flat season at the Curragh on 29 March.
The Irish Lincolnshire will be the feature event, while the first Irish Classic trials are due to take place at Leopardstown on 5 April.
There are several major jumping festivals also to look forward to in the coming weeks, including the Fairyhouse Easter Festival from the 11-13 April, with the Irish Grand National, won last year by Burrows Saint, the highlight.
And at the end of the month, the Punchestown Festival is due to spark into life on 28 April.
Hong Kong (Live coverage on Sky Sports Racing)
Racing in Hong Kong has continued behind closed doors, with the midweek Happy Valley meetings complimented by regular weekend action at Sha Tin.
This Sunday, it is the Hong Kong Derby, one of the most prestigious races in the Hong Kong racing calendar.
It is the final leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, with the first two legs, the Four-Year-Old Classic Mile and Four-Year-Old Classic Cup, won by the prolific Golden Sixty.
He is the favourite for the the Hong Kong Derby, but only one horse previously, the ill-fated 2017 champion Rapper Dragon, has completed the historic treble.
On 5 April, there is a brace of Group 2s at Sha Tin, namely the Sprint Cup and Chairman’s Trophy over 6f and 1m respectively.
And later in the month (26 April), Sha Tin hosts the Group 1 QEII Cup, Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize and Group 1 Champions Mile, three of the most valuable races in the fixture list in Hong Kong.
Check out the Hong Kong form and racecards here
UAE (Live coverage on Sky and Racing TV)
Racing continues in the UAE until the end of March.
There are only two meetings left, with Jebel Ali staging an eight-race card on Friday.
The final meeting is a good deal more glamorous, with Dubai World Cup night due to be staged behind closed doors on Saturday 28 March.
The lucrative card features five Group 1 races, namely the Al Quoz Sprint, Golden Shaheen, Dubai Turf, Sheema Classic and Dubai World Cup.
There will be plenty of British and Irish interest, as well as runners from Hong Kong, Australia and USA (provided they aren’t hindered by travel restrictions).
Check out the UAE form and racecards here
USA (Live coverage on Sky Sports Racing)
There is still racing ongoing in America, though some individual states are cancelling racing so it’s best to keep an eye on social media.
For now, there is racing due to go ahead at Tampa Bay Downs, Charles Town, Mahoning Valley, Gulfstream and at Sam Houston Park this evening, all live on Sky.
There will be regular evening action, though it remains to be seen how much longer racing will continue on the other side of the pond.
The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until September, but this weekend there is due to be Graded action at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, with the $1m Louisiana Derby the feature event.
The following week, there is Graded racing on 27 March at Gulfstream, followed by the Florida Derby at the Miami track the following day.
On 4 April, there are some major races, including the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, scheduled at Aqueduct in New York, with the New York Racing Association releasing a statement this week confirming their intention to race on behind closed doors.
The big Keeneland spring meeting has been cancelled, but racing at Oaklawn Park will continue despite two people testing positive for Covid-19 who visited the on-site casino, leading to that part of the business shutting down for a fortnight.
The feature event at Oaklawn on 11 April is the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, won by the likes of American Pharaoh and Curlin in the past.
There is further Grade 1 action at Oaklawn the following Saturday in the Apple Blossom Handicap, while the final weekend in April sees Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields stage high-class cards behind closed doors in California.
South Africa (Live coverage on Sky Sports Racing)
There will be regular racing in South Africa over the next six weeks.
The action at Greyville is live throughout today on Sky Sports, while the action rolls on to Turffontein, Fairview and Durbanville over the next few days.
