Chances of snowy Cheltenham Festival rated as UK braced for cold snap

02 March 2023 , 17:23

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Snow could have an impact at the Cheltenham Festival, according to bookmakers (Image: Getty Images)

Bookmakers reckon there is a strong chance that the 2023 Cheltenham Festival will be hit by snow with temperatures set to drop before the four-day meeting.

With a cold snap expected in the UK from next week, the chances of snowfall at the fixture are now at Evens, according to William Hill. Extremely cold weather is predicted to hit Britain between March 12 and March 26, leaving the Cheltenham Festival vulnerable to being hit by snow.

In 2018 the track was under a blanket of snow a week before the meeting in the wake of a visit from the ‘Beast from the East’.

Snowdrifts of up to five feet collected around fences but the meeting miraculously went ahead after groundstaff cleared 500 tonnes of snow from the track and the public areas of the racecourse.

“It’s looking more and more likely that we’ll have a re-run of 2018’s conditions in the snow with this forecast.” said William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

“The Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner and with wintery conditions seemingly on the way, we make it just even-money that snow falls during any of the four days of the biggest meeting of the racing calendar.”

According to the Met Office long range forecast wintry showers are predicted between March 7 and March 16 for the UK but Cheltenham may miss the worst of the conditions with “more organised bands of snow” set for the east of the country.

Jon Lees