RACING IS on again - but Cheltenham is off. The Festival cannot take place because there were sheep grazing the course too recently for the new precautions implemented by the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and Jockey Club (JC).

The Irish had already banned their horses from attending and asked Irish racegoers to keep away, while the French first said "non" and later "peut tr"' - although this is now academic.

One of the most relieved trainers is Ferdy Murphy who shut down his West Witton yard but whose owners had pressed him to run stars such as Hindiana, Narrow Water and Ballinclay King. Paul Green, owner of the first-named, felt that the JC recommended arrangements, based on veterinary advice, were compelling.

Murphy does not run Ballygarvan at Sandown today, but has Ten Aces entered at Stratford on Monday. A decision about running will be taken later, Racing Week was told. However, the trainer is not keen to move horses about the country if at all possible and would prefer a suspension until the present foot and mouth crisis has subsided.

Mary Reveley, too, had felt uneasy about racing at Cheltenham and that if the festival had not been coming up, racing would not have been going forward during the week. "That said, we owe it to owners to run if that's what they want."

She has none entered today at Sandown, but if the meeting goes forward, and if any of our northern entries run, there should be interest for us. The Military Gold Cup, for instance, could easily fall to Milo Watson on Flat Top, trained by Mick Easterby, following his recent close-up second in another military race at the same course.

Tomorrow the Sunderlands Imperial Cup hurdle at the Esher track sees two interesting entries from hereabouts, Dibea Times, Malcolm Jefferson's winning young star, and Barnburgh Boy, Tim Easterby's recent winner.

The only racing so far this week was at Lingfield and for Julie Craze, the long trip from Elvington, near York, paid off as Jackerin landed the six-furlong sprint. The win was the first for the York-based Holgate Racing Club and was jockey Vince Halliday's first success this year.

This was third time lucky for Jackerin, who had visited the Surrey course twice earlier to no effect - as both meetings were lost to the weather. On those occasions, the horse could stay in the stables overnight, but with the new racing precautions, he had to return north the same day. Also, every horse and every racegoer had to walk through disinfectant hoof or foot baths and officials sprayed vehicles, too.

James Hetherton from Malton also travelled south but his best result was Oh So Dusty in fourth behind Alan Berry's winner, Beverley Macca, another from the north, but from the "wrong" side of the hills (Cockerham).

It was mostly the trainers from the Vale of York and Malton who were running at Wolverhampton yesterday as we went to press - such as Julie Craze again, David Barron, Tim Easterby, Richard Fahey and Nigel Tinkler. Karl Burke, newly arrived at Middleham, was the only trainer from that centre to travel.

Off the course, news from Middleham is that the planned pre-Cheltenham Festival roast beef lunch at Middleham on Sunday, March 11, for the Stablelads' Welfare Trust has been cancelled. Raye Wilkinson, the trust representative, on 01969 624123, will always welcome donations for this worthwhile cause. Another good fund-raiser for the charity is the annual Middleham Open Day, but this year's event, planned for Good Friday, April 13, is most unlikely to take place.

Kate Milligan has made an offer to take over Patrick Haslam's Castle Stables yard. She has been training for the past four years from Fell View Stables at East Witton, formerly the base of Jumbo Wilkinson.

Amateur rider Carole Williams, wife of jockey Tyrone, who last week reached her 20th career victory, has changed jobs from riding out for Mark Johnston to join Karl Burke at Spigot Lodge.

THE WEEK'S WINNERS

Key: At present what turf racing takes place is National Hunt (jumps), except for all-weather flat racing (AW). f = furlong (8f = 1mile); chs = steeplechase; hdl = hurdles race; NHf = National Hunt flat race (bumper). Hb = homebred by owner.

Wednesday. - Lingfield AW: (6f) Jackerin (trained by Julie Craze, at Elvington; owned by Holgate Racing Club) ridden by Vince Halliday