Officials at Cheltenham are holding their breath after it was revealed that the course falls just outside a foot and mouth infected area.

A case of the disease has been confirmed at nearby Sandhurst.

Any continued spread of the disease closer to the racecourse would mean the end of hopes of staging the Festival which has been rescheduled for April 17-19.

Cheltenham's managing director, Edward Gillespie, said: "We are one mile away from the eastern border of that infected area but thankfully we are still outside.

"Sandhurst is nine miles away from us in a straight line which is about 15 kilometres.

"But it would only have to shift about five kilometres to prompt the infected area being extended.

"It is not good news but at least we are still on."

In another development today it emerged that Cheltenham's championship events could be switched to Sandown and Aintree if Prestbury Park is unable to stage the Festival.

Sandown's Whitbread Gold Cup meeting on Saturday, April 28 is the likely venue for the Tote Gold Cup and Smurfit Champion Hurdle, while versions of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle would also feature on the card.

Aintree, meanwhile, would stage the equivalent of six other championship races.

Meanwhile, Irish horses have been virtually ruled out of running at either Aintree or Cheltenham following consultations between the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association and the Department of Agriculture.

Willie Mullins, chairman of the IRTA, said that it looked very unlikely that there would be any Irish runners at either of next month's big jumps meetings.

He said: "We met with officials from the Department of Agriculture rather than Joe Walsh, our minister, and because the situation in England has got worse not better, they've reiterated their stance that they do not want to see Irish horses or supporters going abroad to race.

"We feel compelled to support that stance."

When asked if there was any possibility that Irish horses would travel over for Aintree or Cheltenham, Mullins added: "It doesn't look good."