THE idea that a race would be abandoned on grounds of safety due to heat would have made a good April Fool’s story given the miserably cold and wet winter most of us have endured, but almost incredibly, that scenario actually played out at Cheltenham on Thursday, with the staying handicap chase shelved amidst concern over the welfare of runners at the track.

This unsurprisingly caused some consternation, with several trainers with representatives in that event venting their collective spleen about the decision. The frustration of having a good-ground mare who has been either slogging away in the mud, or stuck in her stable for most of the season only for a suitable opportunity to be taken away in such unusual circumstances must be galling, and there was a hint of “health and safety gone mad” about some of the reactions, but the truth is that the racecourse and the BHA made a brave and ultimately justifiable decision to recognise the unique nature of the situation and take action to prevent suffering and uphold horse welfare.