Conditions quicken at Kempton and Chepstow but deluge forecast for Welsh National day

The ground was changed to good to soft at Chepstow before Coral Welsh Grand National day on Wednesday, but a forecast deluge on raceday is expected to ease conditions.

A combination of dry weather and strong winds means the track is on the quicker side than usual for the marathon, but that is expected to change on December 27.

Libby O'Flaherty, clerk of the course at Chepstow, said: "We had 33mm on Monday and Tuesday but it's been dry since with 50mph winds. The ground has dried quite a bit and it's good to soft.

"It's set to stay dry until the 27th but it looks like it'll be wet and windy on the day – proper Welsh National weather – and that will make a difference. I expect the ground will change throughout the day as we'll get rain from 6am all the way through, with some heavy bursts. I think we'll start on good to soft but ease as the day goes on and horses go through it."

Barney Clifford: "It's probably the nicest ground we've had for a long time"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Kempton's clerk of the course Barney Clifford is pleased with conditions at the Surrey venue before Tuesday's King George VI Chase. A mostly dry week since Wednesday means the going is good to soft, good in places.

"It's dried a bit on top today but there's plenty of moisture beneath," said Clifford on Friday. "We had 13mm of rain on Tuesday morning, which helped enormously. It'll dry a little bit but it's probably the nicest ground we've had for a long time.

"I think we might get 1mm or 2mm on Christmas Day itself but it's only light stuff and that'll be fine. Boxing Day is bright and sunny but there's a further band of rain coming in on Boxing Day night into December 27. It could be 10mm, so if we get that the ground for the second day will deteriorate, but if I had to take a punt at this stage for December 27 it'd probably be good to soft, soft in places maybe."

The lack of forecast rain before the King George has delighted Shark Hanlon, who will be represented by Hewick, who has a preference for quicker ground, in the £250,000 feature Grade 1.

"I've been on the blower to Shark every day and he was over the moon, which is great," said Clifford. "At the end of the day there can't be any complaints. If you want soft ground, it's not soft, but it'll probably ride a bit on the dead side as well."

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