The Grand National, one of the staples of the British sporting calendar, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Due to take place between April 2 and April 4 this year, the festival will no longer go ahead amid growing restrictions on mass gatherings and non-essential travel.
Discussions had taken place over holding the world's most famous steeplechase behind closed doors this year, but that was deemed unfeasable.
“The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health must come first," said Sandy Dudgeon, senior steward of The Jockey Club, which runs Aintree.
“We were working on a plan to stage the Grand National behind closed doors given its importance to the racing industry and beyond, but following the new Government measures confirmed this evening to help to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, this is not a viable option.
“I know this is hugely disappointing news for the many people who work in our sport and the many millions who were looking forward to this year’s event, but very sadly these are exceptional times and this is the responsible thing to do.”
The announcement comes shortly after the Cheltenham Festival took place last week. The decision for the event to go ahead was widely criticised given the coronavirus outbreak, as over 150,000 racegoers attended.
