French racing struck by crisis

French racing may be hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The French government have banned the movement of all animals - not just susceptible species - except to slaughterhouses, for 15 days after foot-and-mouth antibodies were discovered on nine farms.

That means French horses cannot travel to next week's Cheltenham Festival.

One suspected outbreak of the disease is at a farm near France's major training centre in Chantilly and tomorrow's meeting at Maisons-Laffitte has been called off.

Some racing will be staged in France because at some tracks, horses are trained on-site.

This news is a blow to Cheltenham officials, and came just when hopes of staging the National Hunt Festival had increased dramatically.

Tests on the suspected foot-and-mouth outbreak at Woolstone, next to the Cheltenham track, produced negative results.

Plans to resume racing in England on Wednesday received a vote of confidence from trainers, with 98 entries for the day's Lingfield meeting.