Down Royal bomb alert was 'elaborate hoax'

A bomb alert which forced the abandonment of Down Royal’s biggest meeting of the year was found to be an elaborate hoax.

A crowd of around 9,000 had gathered on Saturday for the second day of the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing, set to feature a clash between Beef Or Salmon and War Of Attrition in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase.

However, all those present were forced to evacuate the grandstands and were ushered into the centre of the course after telephoned bomb warnings were received. But police have now confirmed the hoax.

Officials at the track said the races lost as a result will not be rescheduled.

Racecourse manager Mike Todd told At The Races: “We can’t really (reschedule the races that were abandoned). You have one day to do it and that day’s gone. We realised immediately that we could not reschedule.”