Sussex racecourse chiefs have welcomed the decision to shutdown the sport.

The plug was pulled for seven days yesterday in an attempt to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse said that racing's authorities planned to resume racing on Wednesday, March 7. Chief executives at Plumpton and Fontwell believe the decision is correct.

Fontwell was due to stage a meeting on Monday which would have attracted around 3,000 racegoers.

Jonathan Garratt, chief executive, said: "I was hoping the Jockey Club would voluntarily suspend racing for a period of time.

"This disease has the potential to be a massive catastrophe for rural communities and racecourses are part of those communities. We get people here from smallholdings and farms and it would have been irresponsible for us to put on a meeting under those conditions. It is a health risk.

"I found it very difficult to see how racing could have gone ahead. Even if the Jockey Club said it was safe to race there is a possibility we would have abandoned Monday's meeting."

"We will lose money but, given the potential disaster for this area, I don't think money comes into it. The countryside community is losing billions of pounds over this so I do not think we could worry over losing a few thousand."

Plumpton's next fixture is scheduled for Monday, March 12.

Chief executive Patrick Davis said: "Racing should take a week or two off to foster good relations with the farming communities. We are allied to the countryside alliance and rely on rural support."

Foot-and-mouth concerns did not appear to put off racegoers at Plumpton on Monday. A crowd of just under 2,000 was 18 per cent up on the corresponding meeting last year while the number of runners doubled, from 37 to 75.

Vehicles had to pass through straw doused in disinfectant as they entered and left the course.

Davis said: "We went way beyond the health and safety guidelines laid down by the BHB on Monday. We felt that was our responsibility. It is a difficult one but we should take a proactive decision and not wait to be shut down by the government."

Leading Sussex trainer Josh Gifford, who took two runners to Leicester yesterday, said: "I do not know enough about it to have any feeling either way. I will do as I'm told."

Gifford, who is based in Findon, added: "I know horses cannot get the disease. They can carry it but so can fresh air."

Trainer Gary Moore, who is based at Woodingdean near Brighton, would have been happy to take runners to Lingfield today but had abandoned plans to race at Ludlow tomorrow. He said: "We will take no chances. Everything is disinfected at the stables anyway. I have not heard of any problems in this area. There were certainly no problems at Plumpton on Monday."