UK Racing Return: What Races Have we Missed and Will They Return?

The Grand National is the biggest race of the year but unfortunately the 2020 renewal was cancelled. The race was scheduled to take place in early April and despite talk that it could have gone on behind closed doors, this, in the end, wasn’t an option.

The National is the most viewed race of the year and always has the most betting turnover so was a massive miss to the industry. Along with the National, the entire three-day meeting was cancelled, which included several Grade One races.

With no jump racing until July, the race wasn’t rescheduled but will be back in 2021, as Tiger Roll seeks a hat-trick of wins.

The mile handicap at Doncaster is the traditional curtain raiser to the flat season and usually takes place at the end of March.

It often throws up a group performer, including in 2018, when won by the William Haggas trained Addeyb, who has gone onto bigger successes. This year's renewal was due to take place at the end of March but one of the first races cancelled during the hitaus.

With over 10 weeks of the racing schedule to make up, the BHA decided to sacrifice the 2020 running from the calendar.

The race will return in 2021.

The Lockinge Stakes at Newbury is the third Group One of the seasons and the first of which open to older horses. (4-year-old +).

The race is over a mile and usually sees some of the best milers from Britain and Ireland take each other on and is usually a stepping stone to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the traditional curtain-raiser to the meeting.

This year, many horses running in the Ascot race will have to go there without the Lockinge run. The 2019 renewal was won by the Sir Michael Stoute trained Mustashry and the race will return in May 2021.

The Dante is one of the early season highlights in the Flat season and seen as a crucial trial ahead of the Epsom Derby. The race takes place at York in mid-May but was cancelled for 2019 and not rearranged.

Ten horses have gone onto Derby success after winning the race, most recently the John Gosden trained Golden Horn in 2015.As well as this, the entire three-day meet was cancelled, including races such as the Yorkshire Cup and Musidora Stakes.

The Dante will be back next season.

The Chester Cup is a prestigious heritage handicap and one of the biggest of the flat season.

The race is two miles and takes place on the final day of Chester’s May festival. It is the biggest week of the year for Chester racecourse however the 2020 race hasn’t been rescheduled.

The week is jam-packed full of quality, which starts often ascending from across Britain and Ireland to test their Derby and Oaks credentials.