Irish Cheltenham hopes revived

Cheltenham organisers are hopeful that the postponement of next week's festival and possible rescheduling in April will give Irish horses the chance to participate if it does go ahead. Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham's managing director, said this morning during an interview with the BBC that he is hopeful the festival will take place. "At the moment we are trying to reorganise the event for the end of April. That is our main objective in the next few days - to get some dates in the diary, to talk to the British Horseracing Board, talk with the Irish, and get dates so we can focus on that."

"There is a more likelihood certainly that the Irish will be able to come and that is something that we will work with them on," he added. His feelings were echoed by trainer Willie Mullins, chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association who spoke to David Hanly on Morning Ireland about last night's decision to abandon the festival. "For the training fraternity in Ireland and indeed the owners, it gives us a great chance to be ready in time for the festival if and when it takes place," he said.

Also speaking on Radio 1 this morning was Istabraq's trainer Aidan O'Brien. He could not confirm whether or not Istabraq will participate in a re-arranged Cheltenham Festival because of the Irish stance on the threat of foot and mouth disease. "We will of course be guided by the Minister of

Agriculture, but if it came to a clash between Cheltenham and the Punchestown Festival a week later obviously the preference would be for the Champion Hurdle," he said.

The Cheltenham Festival was abandoned late last night after it was confirmed that, under a revised term set out by the Ministry of Agriculture in Britain, livestock must not have been on a racecourse or on or near areas accessible to the racing public within the previous 28 days (it had originally been set at 14 days).

Because sheep had been discovered grazing on the centre of the course during the exclusion period, Cheltenham organisers had no choice other than to inform the British Horseracing Board that they could no longer comply with the Ministry's directives and therefore must postpone the festival.

It is believed the dates of April 17, 18 and 19 are currently being looked at as a possible alternative for when the festival can now be held. However, this would clash with the Craven Flat race meet at Newmarket. If the festival was held the following week, it would then clash with the Punchestown Festival, which has been re-arranged for that time and also Scotland's Perth Festival meet.

Filed by Amanda Fennelly