08 March 2024 , 18:16
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Soft ground is predicted for the Cheltenham Festival's opening card on Tuesday – despite a run of dry days.
Rain is expected to fall at Prestbury Park this weekend, as preparations for jump racing's flagship fixture are completed. Conditions are soft, good to soft in places on the Old and New tracks, with the cross country heavy, soft in places.
The ground could receive further moisture on Wednesday, a programme which features the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.
"If we get what is forecast we will be starting the meeting on soft ground," clerk of the course Jon Pullin said. "There has been four consecutive fine days here, but because it has been so wet for so long the drying process is slow.
"Overall we should be getting 4-6mm of rain by Sunday and some more on Wednesday afternoon when the forecasts are aligning. Monday and Tuesday look mainly dry. Temperature wise it will be around 11C through the week and there is no threat of frost."
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The official update comes a day after Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant trainer to his father Nigel, said he was certain of a soft ground opener.
Their Grand National and Gold Cup-winning stable is 14 miles from the track, where Broadway Boy goes for Grade One glory in Wednesday's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (8-1 with William Hill).
Willy and Nigel Twiston-Davies, pictured with 2017 Grand National winner Rule The World, are counting down the days to Cheltenham (Getty Images Europe)After a fleeting visit to inspect the turf, Twiston-Davies said at an Oddschecker preview event,: "It'll definitely be soft ground on Tuesday.
"Where we are, we had more rain last night. If it does dry to soft, good to soft then I think it'll be tacky – only specialist horses will handle it."
Chasing a first Festival century, Willie Mullins has four favourites on day one, led by State Man in the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Connections of Ga Law paid £18,000 to supplement him into Thursday's Ryanair Chase, in a potential 13-runner line-up which includes 2023 winner Envoi Allen.
Met Office weather forecast for Cheltenham
Tuesday March 12: A cloudy day with just a 10% chance of precipitation with a low of 5C but a high of 11C at about 3pm.
Wednesday March 13: Another cloudy day with 10% chance of precipitation with a low of 8C and a high of 12C at midday.
Thursday March 14: A cloudy day with 10% chance of precipitation with a low of 8C and a high of 12C at midday. The chance of precipitation rises to 20% at 6pm