PUNTERS will be keeping a close eye on the weather forecast over the next fortnight as the Cheltenham Festival creeps closer.
Many a bet will hinge on the all important ground conditions at the four-day meeting, which kicks off on March 15.
Conditions at Cheltenham are currently Soft, Good to Soft in places
It’s a regular assumption that the fixture will begin on ideal ‘Good to Soft’ ground.
But it has been five years since the Festival started on perfect ground, with the meeting starting on a mixture of Heavy and Soft in recent years.
There has been plenty of rain around over the past week, and Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin described the ground currently as ‘Soft, Good to Soft in places’.
He said: “If we were racing today we would be racing on Soft, Good to Soft in places ground.
“We had eight millimetres overnight on Monday which was welcome. We we are due another five or six millimetres over the next day or two and we could get some showers.
“Apart from that it looks very dry certainly over the weekend and the early part of next week.
“It could get a little bit colder over the weekend but we will keep an eye on the forecast and see where we go from there. I’d love to race today but unfortunately we can’t.
“Anything with a combination of Soft and Good to Soft would be a great start. There is nothing in the forecast we should be particularly concerned about at this stage. Hopefully it will just be a few more showers.”
Pullin, who is set to take charge of his first Festival having taken over from long-time clerk of the course Simon Claisse in the autumn, said he has been thinking about watering in the build-up to the meeting.
He continued: “The eyes of the racing industry and wider fans of the sport are on The Festival.
“Every decision we making now over the next few days in the build-up will have an impact on that so it is a challenge but I’m very much looking forward to it.
“They are slightly lower entries than a few years ago but interestingly enough four races up are up on 2021 so it is not all doom and gloom as far as that is concerned.
“People are being more selective with entries and are taking a wider few and not entering in certain races nowadays. They are focused on a certain campaign and enter in a certain race.
“Watering has been in the back of my mind already as we have had a very dry winter.
“We had over two inches of rain in February which has made a huge difference but as it has been eluded to one thing I’ve learnt about these tracks is how quickly they can dry.
“We have a bit more rain over the next few days and then we will review where we are at the end of the week and get some updated forecasts.”
DOWN TO THE GROUND
Trainers and owners will also be keeping an eye on conditions ahead of the Festival.
Some horses need soft ground to show their best, while others prefer racing on a decent surface.
Horses who will benefit from slower going include Gold Cup contender Royale Pagaille and leading Triumph Hurdle runner Porticello.
But the likes of Edwardstone in the Arkle and Nube Negra in the Champion Chase have shown top-level form on a sound surface.
