Officials at Cheltenham racecourse today confirmed that a farm five miles away from the south-west England track is under investigation for a possible case of foot-and-mouth disease.
The racing venue is set to stage its annual three-day festival meeting starting on March 13th, which features two of the season's leading jumps races - the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle.
Irish runners have already been withdrawn because of fears they could transmit the highly contagious disease when they return home.
AFP