Racing returns in England on Monday

Racing returns to England on Monday with a 10-race program over the Tapeta Footings surface at Newcastle, the first card since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the sport in mid-March.

British horsemen had hoped to be back in action a couple weeks earlier, but it was only on Saturday that the national government gave final approval for the sport to resume spectator-free on June 1.

Monday and Tuesday are quiet from a quality standpoint, but that will change this weekend, with big races scheduled Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Newmarket.

The Group 1 Coronation Cup, which usually is run at Epsom, is the highlight of the Friday program and could draw top contender Defoe – who won the 2019 renewal – Ghaiyyath, Anthony Van Dyck, and Stradivarius, who would be cutting back in distance to 1 1/2 miles from the true staying races he typically contests.

The 2000 Guineas, with 2-year-old star Pinatubo set to run, is the headliner on the Saturday card, while the 1000 Guineas anchors Sunday racing.

Royal Ascot is just around the corner, too, the meet spanning June 16-20. American trainer Wesley Ward already has sent one horse intended for the Royal meeting, Flying Aletha, who arrived Saturday.