13 March 2024 , 08:40
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The Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase has been abandoned due to waterlogged ground on Cheltenham’s inside circuit.
Following 11mm of rainfall throughout Tuesday, there has been no improvement in the conditions on the Cross-Country course and areas of the track remain unraceable.
The forecast for the remainder of the week continues to look unsettled, with further showers likely on both Thursday and Friday.
There will therefore be insufficient improvement to the Cross-Country course and the decision has been taken not to reschedule the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase at this year’s Festival.
Due to the abandonment, the revised race times for today are as follows:
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- 13:45 - Gallagher Novices' Hurdle
- 14:30 - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
- 15:15 - Coral Cup
- 16:00 - Champion Chase
- 16:50 - Grand Annual
- 17:30 - Champion Bumper
The going on the regulation Old and New courses is described as soft, heavy in places.
It's not just the ground at Cheltenham that took a battering on Day One - so too did the bookies' - thanks to Willie Mullins.
Gaelic Warrior got the ball rolling for Mullins and Paul Townend when a well-backed 2-1 winner of the Arkle. The pair then teamed up again for Champion Hurdle glory with State Man and a Mares’ Hurdle success with Lossiemouth, both rated odds-on bankers by punters.
Paul Townend celebrates winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy on Gaelic Warrior (David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)“It didn’t take Willie Mullins long to get on the scoresheet at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, his Gaelic Warrior was by far the best-backed Arkle contender and his many supporters had few concerns throughout the race as the 2-1 favourite strolled home in glorious isolation,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
“Odds-on shots State Man and Lossiemouth were in many Mullins-based multiples, and neither let their backers down, meaning we head into day two already knowing victories for their stablemates Ballyburn, Fact To File and El Fabiolo will make it another costly day for the layers.”
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “Results on Tuesday didn’t go our way and Willie Mullins will be the toast of punters up and down the land. The punters certainly have the advantage heading into day two and we can only hope a few unfancied outsiders bail us out later in the week.”