The chances of it being cancelled have risen from 28% to 42%
Odds have been further shortened on Cheltenham Festival not going ahead on March 10th, following severe concerns over Coronavirus.
The market ‘Will racing go ahead?’ has seen a hive of activity since it went live, with over £283,000 already matched.
‘No’ is now 11/8, which is an implied probability of 41.7%. This is a 14% rise since yesterday and is a vast cause for concern for racing fans over the world.
On the flip side, 'yes' for the Festival to go ahead has drifted out to just 8/13.
With the worry of the virus spreading at a rate faster than we have seen before, the government really could consider cancelling Cheltenham.
England’s Chief Medical officer has warned drastic measures may have to be taken if a pandemic hits the UK. This would include suspending mass gatherings which could include the Cheltenham Festival.
It would be a huge travesty for the greatest show on turf to be called up. Everyone in the racing community will be desperate to avoid this happening, but the decision is ultimately out of their hands.
Whether it would be postponed to a later date or cancelled remains to be seen, but there will be an anxious wait over the next 10 days.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson “Everyone at Oddschecker has their fingers firmly crossed that the Cheltenham extravaganza can go ahead.
“However, it is certainly a worrying time ahead. We have to trust any government decision, but what a disappointment it would be if Cheltenham had to succumb to coronavirus."
