Festival to clash with the Craven

The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival meeting has been rescheduled for 17 to 19 April.

That means a clash with the Craven meeting - Newmarket's curtain-raiser for the Flat racing season - which is likely to hit attendances at both events.

The Cheltenham executive, which would have been hosting the National Hunt highlight this week, but for the grazing of sheep at the track falling foul of ministry of agriculture guidelines, had the alternative of 24 to 26 April, coinciding with the Punchestown Festival in Ireland, which is on hold too.

Cheltenham managing director, Edward Gillespie, said: "We at Cheltenham are only too conscious of the continuing foot-and-mouth crisis.

"However, there is a balance to be struck. We are convinced that we can safely conduct a successful race meeting and that, so long as racing continues and this race course remains outside an infected area, then we should make every effort to hold a meeting.

"We have therefore set the dates so that the preparation of the horses and all the arrangements for the meeting can resume."

Tickets for the Festival will be valid for the same days of the week and Cheltenham will write to all ticket holders outlining arrangements, which include a full refund if they cannot attend.