The prospects of Irish-trained horses running at Liverpool's Grand National meeting or the rescheduled Cheltenham Festival were described as "very unlikely" by the Trainers' Association chairman, Willie Mullins, last night.
And there was another blow for Cheltenham yesterday when 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.
After the Trainers' Association had met with Department of Agriculture official Jim Becher in Kildare yesterday, the trainers declared their support for Minister Joe Walsh's advice not to travel to the UK.
That all but rules out an attempt at a historic fourth win by Istabraq in the Champion Hurdle and a repeat bid by Papillion on the Grand National.
A statement from the trainers said: "We welcome the possible resumption of racing in Ireland at Easter. However, the position of the Minister hasn't changed in relation to Irish-trained horses and supporters travelling to the UK. Consequently the Association will continue to support the Minister's stance."
Mullins later painted a bleak picture not just for jump racing fans but for trainers and owners hoping to travel their expensive flat race prospects to Britain.
"It's very unlikely any Irish horses will be at Aintree or Cheltenham, and the flat looks the same. The situation is getting worse in England and the Department cannot see any relaxation of their stance until well into the future.
"Our members are looking to a possible resumption here at Easter where hopefully the backlog will start to be made up and that will alleviate a lot of the pain of not being able to travel," Mullins said.
The Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, has repeatedly stated his intention that a relaxation in the rules regarding the travelling of horses to Britain will only be considered until well after the last outbreak of foot-and-mouth has been confirmed in the UK.
That position was emphasised at yesterday's meeting and trainers now seem set to focus their top horses at either Fairyhouse on April 15th-18th or Punchestown the following week. At Cheltenham they are keeping their fingers crossed that the Festival can still go ahead.
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."
