CHELTENHAM OFF

Officials at Cheltenham racecourse tonight revealed their disappointment at the abandonment of next week`s festival meeting.

The meeting, which was expected to draw a crowd of over 100,000 over the three days, was called off following a change in a clause of the terms of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods Veterinary Assessment of risk spreading foot and mouth disease for the holding of race meetings.

The original terms required that no livestock had been on the racecourse or areas accessible to the public within the previous 14 days.

However, a new revised instruction issued on Monday revised the timings to a 28 day period, during which time sheep had grazed on the centre of the course.

Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham`s managing director, tonight apologised to owners, trainers and racegoers for the abandonment.

'This is a most unexpected and dreadful blow for everyone who has been preparing their horses and planning to visit Cheltenham next week,' he said.

'I know this will be an enormous disappointment to the entire racing community.'

Gillespie continued: ``Throughout this very difficult and sensitive period, we have taken the best possible veterinary advice on how to continue planning for the Festival.

'Through the enormous effort of our staff, we were confident of achieving all the precautions required by the British Horseracing Board, Jockey Club and MAFF.

'When the additional provisions were issued from MAFF on Monday, the rule regarding livestock had been changed and we can no longer comply with the instruction.

'It was of paramount importance that the meeting would only go ahead with the full compliance of the instructions. We had no option but to abide by this ruling.'

Gillespie revealed plans are now in hand for the Festival to take place towards the end of April.

'Subject to immediate discussions with BHB and other parties, we shall be announcing those dates as soon as possible.

'We shall nowre-focus and keep everyone informed of the revised arrangements.'

The 28-day exclusion period ends on March 15th which meant that the third day of the Festival - the highlight of which was to have been the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup - could have gone ahead with the possibility of staging the abandoned opening of the programme on the following days.

However, according to a statement from Tristram Ricketts, BHB secretary general, this option was not taken up.

'BHB was of the view that it is not in the interests of racing as a whole to re-stage the fixture in the days immediately following the existing programme days,' said Ricketts.

'BHB and the Jockey Club made it clear that total adherence to any instructions issued by themselves and MAFF would be mandatory before any fixture could go ahead.

'BHB continues to act with the utmost care, and has therefore decided that the fixture should be postponed.'

Ricketts described the postponement as a serious blow to racing.

'However, we will work closely with Cheltenham`s executive to plan the restaging of the event at a practicable time in April,' he concluded.