No more rain in Cheltenham forecast for Wednesday as ground remains heavy, soft in places

No rain is forecast ahead of Wednesday's action at the Cheltenham Festival, with the ground set to remain heavy, soft in places and a morning inspection scheduled on the cross-country course.

The track used only for the Glenfarclas Chase will be assessed at 8am on Wednesday due to waterlogging but the forecast dry night gave clerk of the course Jon Pullin optimism that the race will go ahead.

The going on the Old course was soft, heavy in places at the start of the festival but was changed after two races on Tuesday. The track was hit with more than 8mm of rain on Monday night – double the forecast amount.

A GoingStick reading of 3.7 was taken on the Old course, used on Tuesday and Wednesday, which confirmed conditions are the most testing in recent Cheltenham Festival history. Winning times on Tuesday were slower than in all the same races staged in 2018, the last time the meeting started on heavy ground.

Pullin said: "We've been dry during the afternoon and we're heavy, soft in places on the Old and New [course]. We look as if we should be dry through the night and into Wednesday. We'll have an 8am inspection on the cross-country course."

Wednesday is expected to remain dry but showers are in the forecast on Thursday, when the racing switches to the New course. Gold Cup day on Friday could also start with wet weather.

Pullin added: "At the moment there are a few showers around on Thursday but we'll have an updated forecast in the morning."

The attendance for day one of the Cheltenham Festival was 60,181, down by 140 on last year.

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