TRAINER Jim Old yesterday launched a stinging attack on the state of the ground at Cheltenham and called for immediate watering to prevent a high casualty list at the Festival.
Furious Old will scrap plans for Collier Bay to defend his Smurfit Champion Hurdle crown next month if the course does not come up to scratch.
Old's views on jumping's premier track were backed up by former champion trainer David Nicholson, who trains at nearby Temple Guiting.
"It can only be firm at Cheltenham at the moment and we will not be going if it's like that," Old stormed after Collier Bay's victory on his seasonal debut at Towcester.
Cheltenham has suffered all season from a lack of rain with small fields at virtually every meeting.
"They really must do something about the ground. I don't know what they are doing. I'm just pleading with them to give us ground that we can race on," he added.
The gruelling nature of the Cheltenham Festival was underline last year when 11 horses were killed and Old warned it could be even worse this time round.
"It's not just the horses that are killed, you've got to think about all the horses which are ruined by it," he said.
"Running a horse there on the ground like it is at present would be like General Hang sending his boys over the top in the First World War.
"I love Cheltenham dearly but they must act now by turning on the taps. If they don't they will end up with a second 11 at the Festival."
Nicholson, who sent out Relkeel to finish a three quarters of a length second to Collier Bay, said: "If they don't present proper ground, then we don't run at Cheltenham end of story.
"They've got to present genuine jumping ground and the ball's in their court now."
. Celestial Key, the mount of Darryll Holland, third to Sentosa Star and Shturm on the snow at St Moritz last weekend, is back in action at the unique Swiss course tomorrow in the onemile Grand Prix Movenpick.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)