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.

And any continued spread of the disease closer to the racecourse would mean the end of hopes of staging the Festival next month.

A suspected case near Lingfield has also been reported, while the disease has caused the cancellation of the remainder of the point-to-point season.

Cheltenham are keeping their fingers crossed that the rescheduled Festival meeting, set for April 17-19, 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."