THE deluge that battered Cheltenham for most of the week has finally relented – but the course still faces a vital inspection at 3pm this afternoon.
One spot of false ground is a cause for concern as the second day of the November meeting hangs in the balance.
With Friday’s card already abandoned due to areas of standing water, Saturday’s card was always likely to be touch and go.
Rain in the region of 40mm hit the track on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving parts of Prestbury Park totally sodden – but with no more since last night, the outlook is much more promising than it was.
Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse said: “The flooding has receded, although we still have some surface water on some parts of the course.
“The course is very saturated and there is some false ground coming down the old hill, which stretches across the chase and hurdles course about a third of the way down and at the bottom.
“We expect that to improve through the day but that would be our main area of concern at this point. There are other areas which we would be able to get around without a problem.”
With the prestigious BetVictor Gold Cup heading up a mouthwatering card on Saturday, every racegoer in the country is hoping the meeting will get the green light.
Claisse added: “The forecasts are mostly aligned for tonight, which gives you confidence, and we should be able to cope with whats forecast, which is around 5-8mm overnight if the course is where we think it should be this afternoon.”
