The Jockey Club have confirmed that the first four Classics of the flat season have all been postponed due to the continued coronavirus pandemic.
The QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, and The Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs will not be staged May 2&3 and June 5&6 respectively due to the crisis.
The 2000 Guineas and the 1000 Guineas were both scheduled to be run at Newmarket, with Epsom hosting the Derby and the Oaks a month later.
The Jockey Club say talks are ongoing with the relevant stakeholders to reschedule the four Classics to later in the year when appropriate.
Amy Starkey runs Newmarket Racecourse and said, "With less than a month until the QIPCO Guineas Festival, trainers need to know whether to step up preparations for their Guineas horses or put that on pause for a later date.
"The future is too uncertain at the moment and there is no opportunity for any preparation races before such important contests for the 2020 Classic generation."
Ruth Quinn - the British Horseracing Authority's Director of International Racing and Racing Development said of the decision, "As a sport we have a responsibility to safeguard the staging of our Classics, and to position them within a sensible, balanced schedule of complementary events wherever possible.
"We will continue to work together to deliver the optimal outcome within these unprecedented set of circumstances.
"We are developing plans to help ensure that a suitable race programme, for the long-term health of the sport, can be delivered in these challenging times.
"Naturally one of the key priorities is the staging of the generation-defining races.
"The plan will adapt depending on when racing recommences, but will aim to ensure that we provide suitable opportunities for the horses most likely to define the future of the thoroughbred breed if at all possible."
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