HOPES of resuming racing in Dortmund on Monday have been kiboshed by the German government.
The German racing authorities had hoped to lead the way in Europe by staging an eight-race card behind closed doors.
But after they failed to receive the necessary approval following a meeting of top politicians, they opted to delay their planned restart.
Racing has been suspended in Germany since March because of the coronavirus outbreak, but the regulator Deutscher Gallop reckons they are in a strong position to resume, with Hannover on Thursday the next possible starting point.
Michael Vesper, president of Deutscher Galopp, said: “It is a real shame that Dortmund cannot restart the races after a break of almost two months.
“According to the hygiene concept developed by us, there is no risk of infection from ‘ghost races’ on the extensive racetracks, which has also been confirmed by local health authorities.
“We have received a lot of understanding from the state with our concerns, but unfortunately after the meeting of the Chancellor with the heads of state, the time was obviously not yet ripe for opening.
“We will continue to talk to the responsible authorities.”
A resumption of racing in Britain moved a step closer on Friday after the BHA released a potential fixture list for the early weeks of the season – provided it gets the green light.
France are aiming to resume racing on 11 May, while several tracks in the USA, including Churchill Downs, are set to reopen this month.
