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Famous steeplechase lifts the gloom
LONDON (AP) -- With the Cheltenham Festival canceled and the sport devastated by the foot-and-mouth epidemic, horse racing fans finally get something to cheer about Saturday when the Grand National -- the world's most grueling steeplechase -- is run at Aintree. Some 120,000 racing fans are expected at the three-day meet, which began Thursday with spectators and their vehicles going through a disinfecting procedure as they entered the grounds. An estimated worldwide TV audience of more than 500 million will tune in Saturday for the big race, which is being screened live in China for the first time. Bookmakers estimate more than 100 million pounds ($150 million) will be staked on the 500,000-pound ($750,000) race, which should have its maximum field of 40 runners. The Aintree meet comes as a ray of sunshine for a sport which has been brought almost to a standstill by the foot-and-mouth outbreak. As of Thursday, more than 1,000 cases of the livestock disease had been confirmed across Britain. The Cheltenham Festival, which attracts the top hurdlers, was first postponed and then canceled altogether, meaning there will be no Champion Hurdle or Cheltenham Gold Cup this year. Racing in Britain was put on hold for a week last month and resumed only on courses nowhere near foot-and-mouth outbreaks and with strictly observed disinfecting measures taking place. Aintree gives the British horseracing industry, which has lost millions in revenue because of the crisis, the chance to show it is still alive. Aintree, on the outskirts of Liverpool, is surrounded by built-up areas rather than farmland. The Irish trainers federation, which has withdrawn its thoroughbreds from other meets in Britain, has allowed them to travel to the National. Britain's national horse racing paper, the Racing Post, reflected the euphoria surrounding the meet with the headline "At Last!" "After more than a month in the doldrums, racing finally has an occasion to savor," the paper said. Saturday's 4 1/2 mile (7.2 kilometer) race over 30 tall fences could be a landmark one for trainer Martin Pipe and champion jockey Tony McCoy. Pipe has a record 10 runners in the race. One of them, Blowing Wind, will be ridden by McCoy, who has never completed it in five attempts. Irish trained Papillon is expected to go into the race as a 7/1 favorite, although bookmakers are quoting Mely Moss at 8/1. But one customer of bookmakers Corals could pick up more than 500,000 pounds ($750,000) if Mely Moss comes home the winner. The customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, placed a 100 pound ($150) each way, ante-post treble bet. The first two legs at recent meets have already come home at odds of 16/1 and 20/1. He placed the bet when Mely Moss had odds of 14/1 so that the cumulative odds are 5,354/1. Racing fans who place bets on the race are likely to contribute to the farmers affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis. Anyone who places a bet on Addington Boy, which finished fourth two years ago, will be contributing to the Royal Agricultural Betting Institution, which is dedicated to helping the farming community suffering hardship. By contrast, animal rights activists are again expected to picket the meet, protesting that the National is cruel and often leads to racehorse deaths. One sad note on the eve of the meet was the death of 1999 winner Bobbyjo. The Irish-trained 11-year-old was destroyed on Wednesday after complications developed following an operation to repair a broken leg.
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