French and Irish take new threat seriously

Potential restrictions on the transportation of racehorses into the UK to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease could have a devastating effect on Europe's Flat and National Hunt programme, both for racing and breeding.

Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup ante-post favourite, First Gold, could be prevented from crossing the Channel from his French base to contest the £290,000 event in 21 days' time.

His Chantilly trainer, Francois Doumen, was alerted to the problem by Standard Sport and sought a briefing from racetrack chief executive, Edward Gillespie, on the implications for his Festival squad and their accommodation, at a secret location near Cheltenham.

"A ban would also have serious implications on racing's bloodstock industry," said Doumen who has Bedawin entered at Kempton tomorrow.

"Now is the time of year when mares are shipped from France and elsewhere to studs in the UK and Ireland to be covered by stallions. We are talking about a business worth many, many millions."

Precautionary instructions have already been issued by the Irish Turf Club to native trainers planning to ship their horses to Britain for racing this week. County Kildare trainer Christy Roche, who saddles Grimes in today's Axminster Hurdle at Wincanton in Somerset, was the first to be briefed on the stringent procedures he should apply.

Ireland currently has a suspected outbreak of the highly contagious disease in County Cavan, prompted by revelations that a truck bound for there visited a UK abattoir connected with this country's three confirmed cases.

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of the Irish Turf Club, is already in regular contact with Ireland's Department of Agriculture to ascertain whether the country's current ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from the UK could be expanded to cover the movement of horses in both directions. It is an option he cannot rule out.