With so much uncertainty about when interstate racing can resume officials made an early decision to push the race back a full season, allowing Sydney to still host the next edition.

Steve Turnbull's Conviction and Atomic Red plus Chris Frisby's 2018 Inter Dominion runner-up Our Uncle Sam were all involved in last year's race.

The trio, plus several other leading Bathurst horses, would have had the chance to race on their home track during the heats of the series.

Bathurst Harness Racing CEO Danny Dwyer said the coroanvirus had cast too much uncertainty over the sport's biggest event.

"It's having an affect on states and obviously trans-Tasman travel for horses coming over from New Zealand," he said.

"It's disappointing given we were going to have some heats in Bathurst but hopefully it comes back bigger and better, and all the procedures put in place for 2020 will be the same come 2021.

"I the back of the three horses who went to New Zealand it would have been in their plans to go to the Sydney Inter Dominion. To maintain that sort of form for another 12 months, when you're at that elite level, is really difficult.

"It's probably our biggest representation in the Inter Dominion we've had for a while. It's really disappointing for the local industry."