Racing backs suspension

Racing's professionals in Britain have given their backing to yesterday's decision to suspend racing. Trainers and jockeys fear that they may be responsible for spreading the disease to the farms that often surround their stables.

However, there are also worries over the impact of losing the Cheltenham Festival. Speaking at Leicester yesterday, trainer Nicky Henderson said: "It would be a disaster if the meeting had to be called off. Cheltenham is everything to us. It's 362 days work into three days.

"The financial cost will, of course, be huge. But we must try to get this thing over and solved as quickly as possible. But this decision has been taken on veterinary advice and I'm sure it's the right one."

Robert Alner, the trainer of the first winner at Leicester yesterday Spring Grove, is based in farming country in Dorset. "I'm almost embarrassed to be here and I only ran him because I thought he had a good chance. I've got three dairy farms near me and if one of those got foot-and-mouth I'd be the obvious one to blame."

Champion jockey Tony McCoy, speaking for his fellow jockeys, said: "We're all very disappointed. It's going to be seven days off in one of the busiest periods of the year."

However, Channel 4 racing pundit John McCririck is vehemently opposed to the decision to suspend racing for a week.

"The Jockey Club and the BHB have betrayed the sport they purport to represent. If racing is perceived as such a threat then it is for the Government who have all the facts and information available to advise a shutdown. Racing has unnecessarily self-destructed," he said this afternoon.

"The foot-and-mouth situation cannot be expected to reverse itself within a week. The 2001 Cheltenham Festival in March is doomed."