Cheltenham Festival

Thanks Lucy

All very different to 12 months ago when we were enduring the beast from the East and one of the wettest winters in years (and there was still faint hope that the country's politicians would work together to secure a "sensible" Brexit of sorts).

Fast forward a year and while conditions must be ideal for grass growth, the track must currently ride like a road.  Dry and sunny next week with possibility of rain thereafter what should Claisse do? Stick or twist?

can I mention 'the water table'?

'Hanx', how will it affect the going at Cheltenham? The forecast  remains the same; unsettled from this sun on with cumulative precipitation about the same ie 70mm.

Haven't the foggiest! :)

if the water table is low any decent rain will get sucked down further rather than staying in the top few inches, the surface will have been freshened up but won't retain the water, making for proper good ground imo..maybe a bit softer on the lower parts of the course... but the top of the hill will easily drain away, making it a lesser stamina test as they start to rise for the finishing post.
Of course if it rains just before and through the festival or if Claisse waters on the eve of the festival (which he will do) then it will just soften the surface up a bit..... safe, good to soft ground, good in places.

Cheers 'Shakespeare'. A saturated water table will be super-testing even for Native River; up to now the weather has been friendly (baking possibly) however, post this sunday 70mm is expected to 1st day of Festival. If correct, how significant will that be to a going, assuming it's good prior to any deluge?

well the temperatures are still going to be fairly good (10-12 degrees most days) and with a some wind, on a few days, it will off set the rain by drying it a little.  I seriously don't think it will be anything extreme and likely going will have good in it somewhere.

From what I can see day time temperatures look well below average and even worse overnight

70mm rain and well below average temps, what forecasts are you guys looking at ????

we will be lucky if the meeting is on if those forecasts are right

Looks like pretty standard late Feb / early March weather from the forecasts I've seen.

He's definitely going to be watering. 100%.

He'll need to I'm cutting the grass tomorrow usually middle of March

Nice deep trough of low pressure building out

Nice deep trough of low pressure building up in the north atlantic, due to arrive here on saturday

One forecast I looked at this morning said it was going to be snow, 2C and 31mph winds on the Wednesday!!! Baltic conditions

Probably in the Daily Express along with their usual hurricane tornado and general armageddon weather obsessions

"We have done a little bit of watering - and we started last Thursday putting a couple of millimetres on both chase and hurdle tracks and the cross country to get the fertiliser kicked in.
"If we were racing here today we would be on the quick side of good, and you would probably find a little bit of good to soft out there."
His mission is to arrange for a surface slightly slower than that by March 12 - and is confident a predicted change in conditions is in Cheltenham's favour.
"The forecast they have now is that starting Saturday what is called the blocking high is going to move eastwards - and we will be back into normal weather patterns from the west," Claisse added.
"We could get - and the amount of rainfall has gone up - between 35 and 40 millimetres between Saturday and next Monday week.
"If we got the bottom end of the forecast we could end up good to soft ground.
"If the rains don't come we will do whatever is necessary to start the meeting on slow good ground - by which we mean good, good to soft or good to soft, good."

With precipitation forecast every day bar one the softest ground could be Gold Cup day which will be music to connections of Native River who's still available at 7.6 here.

A repeat of last year's running, assuming Might Bite is back to his best, with CDO sitting just behind the front two? I do hope so.

Cettley & Klaisse watching the'Going' market like hawks locked onto a weasel.

Golden miller
Cottage rake
Arkle
Lescargot
Best mate
Kauto Star
Native river



Mill house
Silver buck
Burrough hill lad
Desert orchid
Denman

It's raining presently with several light but prolonged showers expected daily between now and race days; only tomorrow will be dry. If so, it would be difficult to see drier ground as the Festival progresses; good to soft at least on the opening day, I believe, with the ground getting softer each day.

Simon Claisse: "The forecast is unsettled and wet. We've had 4mm of rain today but the going remains good on all three courses."

More prices will drift from now onwards
Bookies just balancing up there books now

The forecast is for prolonged light rain and showers between now and the end of the Festival. The BHA website states going is good for both the hurdle and chase course; unsettled with plenty of rain.

What's that ......your forecast ?
What ? ..... the bha says unsettled with heavy rain ?

So who is doing all this forecasting please ?

It's raining at the moment (for a limited period); plenty more tomorrow evening right into late sunday afternoon; similarly wednesday and friday. (myweather2.com)

No one has a scooby what the rainfall will be on a daily basis further ahead than about 48 hours. 

No one can say with any credibilty that it will rain all days bar 1 between now and then. Let's not get silly.

No one has a scooby what the rainfall will be on a daily basis further ahead than about 48 hours. 

No one can say with any credibilty that it will rain all days bar 1 between now and then. Let's not get silly.

Yes  - but what about the water table?

We will revert back to the usual Cheltenham ground,don't be worrying boys !!! Good to Soft all over

FYI absolutely peeing down last 36 hours in Galway, snow and sleet East and south of here, should be with you soon ......