Exhausted jockeys, trainers and stable staff will have to wait six months to learn whether the British Horseracing Board will take steps to reduce the bulging fixture list.
The BHB`s decision to stage meetings this year on 14 consecutive Sundays _ a programme which will be repeated in 2001 _ means there is racing for 104 days without a break.
But the much-criticised fixture list _ there are 1,212 meetings next year _ will not be reviewed until October with the outcome of the discussions not made public until early next year.
The BHB was today offering no clues as to whether there would be wholesale changes to the programme for 2002.
'Everything will be up for review but it would be unwise at this juncture to speculate as to what might happen,' said BHB racing executive director John Smee.
BHB chairman Peter Savill has long been an advocate of Sunday racing and for the moment there appears to be little change in the stance.
'The BHB are great supporters of Sunday racing. It attracts lot of families and we see it as a way of getting the next generation racing _ it has been a great plus,' said Smee.
'I would say that the majority of racecourses are happy with it and we filled all the Sunday fixtures for 2001 without a problem.
'A lot of the jockeys that are complaining would probably be riding abroad on a Sunday if there was no racing here and other jockeys are, I am sure, delighted at the extra opportunities.
'Some racecourses would like the return of Saturday night meetings but this would hardly be a help to stable staff.'
Many have put forward the idea of a blank day _ perhaps on a Monday _ to ease the burden.
But Smee said: 'There are other factions who wouldn`t be particularly enthused by the prospect. I can`t see the bookmaking industry being happy with the idea at all.'
The review of Sunday racing will begin in the autumn because most of this year`s programme will have been completed by then.
'There wouldn`t be much point doing anything before then as we won`t have had the opportunity to monitor the product properly before that time,' said Smee.
'That`s why it would have been totally illogical to make changes for the 2001 fixture list.
'The review will be all-embracing and conducted by the BHB with submissions from all interested parties.
'We will get cracking in the autumn and the results would have to be decided upon by February next year.'
