MURPHY SHUTS DOWN OVER FOOT AND MOUTH Trainer Ferdy Murphy has closed his stable and will not have any runners until the crisis caused by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease is resolved. Murphy was due to have five runners at Catterick today but is worried that his horses could bring the disease back to the farming community at West Witton in North Yorkshire where his yard is based. The trainer has one of the most powerful yards in the north, housing over 80 horses at West Witton, and also has a satellite yard at Worlingworth Hall, Suffolk. He said today: 'I shouldn`t have declared them in the first place but I didn`t realise how quickly the situation is escalating. 'I live in the middle of a farming community in West Witton - I`ve one farm on one side with 300 cattle and one the other side with 1,000 sheep - and if I brought this disease back here I could never forgive myself. 'We have closed the stable down and we will not have any runners until this is sorted - it is frightening. 'We will just have to see what happens, monitor the situation and see what restrictions - if any - are put in place.' Murphy was due to send a strong team to the Cheltenham Festival in a fortnight, including the likes of Narrow Water, Streamstown and Hindiana. Trainer Pam Sly shares Murphy`s fears and has withdrawn her two runners at Catterick. She will not race any of her string, based at Singlecote near Peterborough, until the outbreak is contained.
