CHELTENHAM WATCH

Henderson’s concern over Festival as odds weaken on it going ahead

BRIAN HUGHES and Richard Johnson went headto-head for the first time at Sedgefield yesterday since champion jockey Johnson’s return to the saddle last Thursday. Johnson’s mount Strong Glance was 1-5 favourite for the the 2m4f novices’ hurdle, but Hughes was able to restore his lead in the jockeys’ title race to 18 when his mount, 4-1 shot Baron De Midleton, sauntered home by 32 lengths over his rival.

NICKY HENDERSON believes it is “vital” the Cheltenham Festival goes ahead if it is forced to be rescheduled as a direct result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The biggest event on the National Hunt calendar is currently all-systems-go leading up to the start of the meeting next Tuesday, but a significant spike of 12 confirmed cases of the virus reported yesterday, making a total of 35 in the UK, have caused concern.

Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme yesterday Henderson, Britain’s most successful trainer at the Festival with 64 winners, said: “It’s on until anything ghastly happens and that decision will come from the government, of course.

“It’s different from 2001 when we had the foot and mouth, as that was something between DEFRA and racing to make their minds up.”

“I think it’s vital, whatever happens, that this is staged at some point. If we were forced to stop how long is the break period going to be?”

In France, the meeting at Chantilly tomorrow is to be run behind closed doors, as will the meetings at the nearby track at Compeigne today and on Wednesday, after 36 cases had been confirmed in the department of Oise, north of Paris – the most in any region in the country, out of the 100 cases nationally.

In Paris itself, however, the meeting at Auteuil yesterday went ahead as normal.

Prior to the news of the 12 new cases, the British Horseracing Authority said in a statement: “The industry group continues to liaise closely with government and plan for a range of contingencies.

“At present racing continues as usual and the sport remains in agreement that there is no need to develop a policy regarding abandonment of any specific fixtures due to coronavirus at this time.”

Odds on the Festival going ahead on 10 March have drifted to 8-13, with the price for the meeting to be cancelled now shortened to 11-8.