NEXT week’s Festival will see the introduction of 17 measures designed to improve equine safety. The recommendations were made by a report commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority after seven horses died at last year’s meeting.

Every horse will be checked by the veterinary team before racing.

A team of five vets will start work in the racecourse stables from 7.30am each day, trying to identify horses who may be at risk of being injured. Last year less than a quarter of runners were checked before racing.

Vets will have the authority to withdraw a horse, a move which could cause consternation if implemented. Trainers are being asked to supply veterinary records for all horses covering the past 45 days and some trainers have gone to the trouble of providing the BHA with videos of their horses at home and veterinary documentation in a bid to reassure vets of their horses’ soundness.

The BHA’s chief regulatory officer Brant Dunshea told the BBC: “Cheltenham has always had incredibly good welfare provisions in place.

“We are taking it to the next level. We are introducing a process where we scrutinise every runner in some way.

“Trainers are being asked to provide details of any horse that might be an awkward mover and they have been sharing videos [of the horses] in their natural environments, doing trot-ups. They could not have been more collaborative.”

The number of runners in the Grand Annual Chase has been reduced from 24 to 20 and the conditions of the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle have been changed to encourage the use of more experienced jockeys.

The second-last fence on the Old Course has been moved about 10 yards away from the bend.

Before racing each day jockeys will be addressed by the stewards on equine safety. Riders will be advised on the whip guidelines and it is expected that the stewards will be more punitive when breaches are observed.

Eddie O’Leary, racing manager for Gigginstown House Stud, told the Daily Mail: “We are very supportive of their initiatives to keep racing safer. Cheltenham are very good to water the ground, so they will keep the track as safe as possible for horses to take part.”