'We're not concerned' - Cheltenham's positive update as frost threatens Wednesday at festival

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin is “reasonably confident” sub-zero temperatures in the early hours will not threaten racing at Cheltenham on Wednesday, with the festival set to start on soft ground on Tuesday.

Forecasters predict temperatures to drop as low as -2C from Tuesday night into Wednesday but Pullin isn't too concerned as it will be just a single night of frost and it could warm above freezing from as early as 7am. No decision has been made as to whether covers will be put down after racing on Tuesday.

Pullin said: “Temperatures still look as though they’ll drop below 0C overnight and it could be down to -2C Tuesday into Wednesday. At this stage, we’re not concerned. It’s a one-night frost and we’ve been in double-digit temperatures for the last three days now so there’s a bit of warmth in the soil. We’ll get an updated forecast first thing in the morning and see what that says. 

“It’s just one the night, we’ve had warmer temperatures the last few nights and – the key thing – on Wednesday morning we look as if we’ll be back up to positive temperatures by 7am-8am so I’d be reasonably comfortable at this stage that we’ll be okay.”

The going was changed to soft all over on Monday morning following 4mm of rain overnight and a further 2-3mm of rain arrived on a drizzly afternoon. Further rain is forecast later in the week, but it should stay dry throughout the opening day of the festival.

"There's not much change from this morning," Pullin said. "The forecasts are still suggesting a few showers later on this evening into the early hours maybe. Hopefully it’s nothing too significant. 

"We then look mainly dry through the morning and most of tomorrow. The early part of Wednesday still looks dry, then there’s the band of rain moving in later in the day. That’ll give us rain off and on until Thursday, and we’re looking at between 5-10mm potentially. Friday is looking pretty dry."

Racing on Tuesday and Wednesday is on the Old course, before the New course is used for the second half of the four-day meeting.

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