Back out to 2/1 now

Shutting schools doesn’t really affect the economy I realise some parents will have to take time off.

whatb would happen to the ante post bets if it was called off ? void or what?

If it was to be abandoned you'd have thought though that it would need to be done pretty soon before everyone start to descend and the organizing of the whole thing really gets into full swing it can't be a last minute thing, at what point was the festival called off due to foot and mouth?

You should be more worried nico s got the cough

A little bit of hysteria on here.

I don't know whether or not the Festival will go ahead. If the virus develops dramatically in the UK, it may not. But what I am sure about is that it won't be called off in isolation. The premiership attracts far more each week than will be at the four days of Cheltenham, and there will either be a blanket ban on sport or Cheltenham will go ahead. There would be no point at all in targeting Cheltenham alone.

If I were of a different mindset, I'd be backing the meeting to go ahead with every penny I have; the current odds seem extraordinary. However, were I to be wrong,  financial losses would compound the impact of the loss of the meeting so I will avoid this market, tempting though it looks.

I hope I'm wrong but I fear Ian Renton's confidence (that the Festival will go ahead) is sadly misplaced. His predecessor, Edward Gillespie, was similarly confident back in 2001 when foot & mouth struck.

Renton is as clueless as the rest of us engaging in debate on this and other similar forums. The decision to cancel will be the Government's to take. The current media-fuelled scaremongering only increases the possibility that the Government will feel compelled to implement a ban on social gatherings - at concerts, football matches and race meetings.

Renton is as clueless as the rest of us on here

I think it would be a bonkers decision to cancel but it's the lunatics who are in charge of the asylum.

You're more likely to catch Corona virus in Bourton on the Water, Lower Slaughter, Bibury (and all the other Cotswold villages that Chinese tourists continue to flock to) than at Cheltenham races but the Government may disagree.

So they called it off for foot and mouth
because the animals were suffering
and they didnt want it to spread
....and they are going to keep it on
when there are humans suffering ........hhhhmmmmm

Cheltenham would've gone ahead in 2001 - albeit with no runners from Ireland - because it fell outside the foot and mouth exclusion zone. Unfortunately they'd allowed sheep to graze in the middle of the course and that resulted in the fixture being abandoned.

Foxy and others are right: the media (and ultimately the Government) need to maintain a proper sense of perspective throughout this health crisis. I'd argue you've got a greater chance of catching Corona virus walking along Arlington Row in Bibury than you have at Cheltenham racecourse on March 10th. But heh, what do I know?

Thanxforthat

Boris won't do anything until his hand if forced.
"Bread and circuses" is what the public want and get.
My guess is he will keep the events with either screening at the entrance, or run the events behind closed doors (but on TV).
Will he cancel Cheltenham, the FA Cup Final, Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, the Open, the Euros?  Doubt it.

If the festival had to be run behind closed doors there would be no festival...£££££££££££

Be more melodramatic

never happen, it'll be all or nothing, has to be.

First world problems... Thought of sitting at home for the festival is unthinkable

I can hear the violins!

I honestly don't know where to start, I have so many of them...

Olly Murphy is nervous that Brewin’upastorm will be prevented from running in the Arkle. He’s heard the Government are considering restricting anything out of Milan.

Anything out of Milan by the way would be worth billions