Leading figures in British racing will meet next week to discuss a resumption plan post-coronavirus lockdown.
The sport is suspended in the UK until April 30.
This week saw the first four Classics of the flat season at Newmarket and Epsom Downs postponed until hopefully later in the year.
The British government said on Thursday that there’ll be no imminent lifting of the lockdown measures currently in place.
But the British Horseracing Authority want to establish clear criteria for when racing can resume.
The BHA say, "The COVID-19 Racing Industry Group established a Resumption of Racing Group that has been working with horsemen, racecourses and others on a plan to resume racing behind closed doors as soon as that becomes possible."
Racing in Ireland had continued behind closed doors for a spell before the implementation of more stringent restrictions on the movement of people.
The Chief Operating Officer of the BHA, Richard Wayman, said, "Everyone’s first duty at present is to the health and safety of the public, as the government has made clear.
"That will clearly be the most important consideration informing their view of when it’s safe for sport to resume.
"But we continue to keep them fully informed of the lockdown’s considerable economic impact on individuals and businesses within racing, and our responsibility for the long-term prosperity and sustainability of the sport.
"We have followed government guidance throughout this crisis. When they said it was still safe to continue mass gatherings, we continued. When they said the emergency services could no longer support mass gatherings, we stopped.
"Now it seems clear that – like so many other areas of leisure and business activity – sport will need the support and approval of government to resume, even if that is behind closed doors.
"The work that’s been done to develop a resumption plan is excellent and has demonstrated that racing would be ready to resume when that becomes possible.
"We are liaising with government as part of our development of a responsible, coordinated plan for the return of sport when we’re told it’s safe to do so."
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