14 Mar: Yes or No: Was holding the Cheltenham Festival the right thing to do? 28 Mar: No

[T_i_B]

1. Cheltenham cited Boris Johnson's rugby outing as a reason for Festival go-ahead

Whoopsie Daisy!

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/08/cheltenham-cited-boris-johnson-twickenham-trip-to-support-festival-go-ahead-horse-racing

The organisers of the Cheltenham Festival cited the presence of Boris Johnson at an international rugby match shortly before the race meeting was due to begin in a letter explaining why it was going ahead despite concerns about the Covid-19 outbreak, the Guardian can reveal.

There is growing concern at the decision to run the four-day Festival, which attracted more than 250,000 people, after a number of attendees reported symptoms consistent with the virus. Cheltenham Racecourse continues to insist that it followed clear government advice and points out that other major sporting events took place just before and during the Festival.

The letter from the racecourse to Cheltenham borough council specifically flags up Boris Johnson’s presence at the England v Wales rugby game at Twickenham on Saturday 7 March – three days before day one of the Festival, Tuesday 10 March.