Cheltenham Ground Updated to Good to Soft After Pre-Festival Watering

Ground conditions at Cheltenham have eased slightly after selective watering on the eve of the festival, with the official going now described as good to soft all round.

Around 0.5mm of rain fell overnight, and with further showers forecast later today, officials may not need to carry out any additional watering before racing begins.

On Monday the ground had been reported as good to soft, good in places, with between 3mm and 5mm applied to parts of the track to ensure consistent conditions ahead of the meeting. An updated GoingStick reading is expected later today after Monday’s figure of 6.2, although the Racing Post’s going model indicates the surface could ride slightly quicker than the official description.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin confirmed that forecasts will determine whether further action is needed.

“The updated forecast suggests we could get 2mm to 4mm of rain tonight,” he said. “We’ll review that through the day but if that forecast proves accurate, we won’t need to do any more watering.”

Despite a challenging winter – with 226.5mm of rain recorded at Cheltenham since January 1 – Pullin said the course team are satisfied with the current state of the track.

“The last few weeks have presented their challenges but we’re in a good place now and we’re looking forward to racing,” he said. “It is the highlight of the year for many people, including us.”

Racing on the opening day will take place on the Old Course, which has not been used since November.

The only confirmed non-runner so far is Mambonumberfive, who has been withdrawn from the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase after suffering a bruised foot.

Tuesday’s card begins with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, where Old Park Star is the early favourite as trainer Nicky Henderson bids for a third victory in the race in six years.