2 minutes The racecourse's clerk shares his insights on Cheltenham Festival weather and ground conditions.
Following an unprecedentedly rainy February, the water table is high, with a comparatively less rainy weekend at Cheltenham aiding Cheltenham racecourse preparations.
This sets the stage for likely soft terrain for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival, with additional rainfall anticipated for Tuesday.
Particularly challenging conditions are noted in the central segment reserved for the cross-country event, characterised by a mix of heavy and softer patches.
"We're happy and the track is in good shape, we're pleased with how that looks," commented Jon Pullin, the clerk of the course.
Reflecting on the previous year's difficulties related to turf maintenance, which stemmed from a prolonged winter chill, Pullin remarked:
"We faced a few challenges last year with grass cover, but that was on the back of a cold spell throughout the winter. It's been a very different story this year and obviously very wet, which has given us other challenges, but we're happy with conditions."
He further detailed the current state of the grounds:
"We're soft on both the Old and New course and heavy, soft in places on the cross-country. We had seven millimetres overnight into yesterday and a further 4mm throughout the day. We're forecast to be dry today, but then we have some more showers moving in tomorrow morning before a dry afternoon."
Pullin also speculated on the forthcoming conditions, saying, "I think we'll be soft ground for the first race, particularly if we get a few showers in the morning."
"We're dry tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday looks to be as well. Thursday could be showery and the New course will probably be ready for a drop of rain by then. Thursday looks like we could still be on soft ground and we will have to see how Friday plays out."
Regarding the end of the week, Pullin surmised, "At the moment, Friday looks like a combination of sunshine and showers, so we could end up on soft or maybe good to soft."
The Importance of Weather for Cheltenham Bets
The weather at Cheltenham has a huge impact on the prices at which a horse will go off at, with some horses preferring softer ground. Due to the weather conditions horses with proven stamina are already being shortened in the betting markets. To stay up-to-date with Cheltenham Festival odds and results, head over to our Cheltenham Super Site!