It was a testing weekend for Cheltenham and the loss of the Countryside Day was sad for them. It is hard to imagine that racing at Cheltenham in early November could possibly be waterlogged when, most years, we are praying for rain at this time of year.
The day is one of the Countryside Alliance’s biggest fundraising events, so to miss out on all the hard-earned money when the countryside and its pursuits are so much under threat was devastating. Thankfully, the racecourse was able to run on both the Saturday and Sunday.
{"content":"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"}