CHELTENHAM UNDER THREAT FOR SECOND TIME

Officials at Cheltenham racecourse are holding their breath after it was revealed on Monday that the south-west England track falls just outside a foot and mouth infected area.

A case of the disease has been confirmed at nearby Sandhurst.

And any continued spread of the disease closer to the racecourse would mean the end of hopes of staging the Festival, the showpiece event of English horse racing`s jumping season, next month.

The highly contagious livestock disease has already forced the postponement of the three-day meeting originally scheduled for March 13th-15th.

A suspected case near Lingfield, Surrey, was also reported Monday, while the disease has caused the cancellation of the remainder of the point-to-point (amateur jumping) season here.

Cheltenham are keeping their fingers crossed that the rescheduled Festival, set for April 17th-19th, can still go ahead.

'We are one mile away from the eastern border of that infected area but thankfully we are still outside,' the racecourse`s managing director Edward Gillespie said.

'Sandhurst is nine miles away from us in a straight line which is about 15 kilometres.

'But it would only have to shift about five kilometres to prompt the infected area being extended.

'It is not good news but at least we are still on.'