'Health and safety bonkers' - Evan Williams slams omission of jumps over low sun

Trainer Evan Williams argued the bypassing of fences and hurdles due to low sun is damaging the sport as he described the decision to take out three flights from Saturday's Cheltenham highlight as the latest example of "health and safety bonkers".

Williams was speaking after his Silver Streak lost out by a nose to Song For Someone in the Unibet International Hurdle, whose winning rider Aidan Coleman claimed jockeys would have been "idiots" to jump the two home-straight flights.

Their removal, which came after concern was raised by riders at the start, meant only five of the scheduled eight hurdles were taken. That maintained a recent trend, with jumps last week omitted because of poor visibility at Sandown, Exeter and Aintree, where only nine of the intended 19 fences were left in play in the Many Clouds Chase.