English opening race perhaps (5)
I believe the answer is:
event
'race perhaps' is the definition.
(race is a kind of event)
'english opening' is the wordplay.
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'opening' becomes 'vent' (vent is a kind of opening).
'e'+'vent'='EVENT'
(Other definitions for event that I've seen before include "400 metres?" , "Race contest; occasion" , "Fixture" , "Something happening" , "riding competition" .)