Cheltenham Festival's hurdle races will have longest run-in since 2009 after relocation of final flight - plus latest on the ground

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Not since 2009 will the Cheltenham Festival's hurdle races have been staged with such a long run-in after issues with wet ground prompted the decision to push the final flight closer to the home bend on both the Old and New courses.

Cheltenham's then clerk of the course Simon Claisse relocated the hurdle to a position after the final fence in 2010, explaining that the move had been made in order to "minimise the chance of riders being found in breach of the whip rules" and to bring the action closer to racegoers.

Sixteen years later that policy has been reversed. The final flight now remains between the final two fences – as it has been through the winter – creating an extended run-in of well over a furlong.

The resiting of the hurdle is unconnected to the drain issue that arose at the end of Festival Trials Day, when a hole emerged in a different part of the home straight.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: "We've been wet in the build-up to the festival and there is an area of ground that has sat particularly wet.

"It was difficult to find a position in what has become the normal festival area for the final flight, so we've taken the decision to move the flight on both courses to what has been their historic position through the season. That has enabled us to get a nice running line through to the back straight."

The final flight on the Old and New courses has been moved to between the final two fencesCredit: Lee Mottershead (racingpost.com/photos)

After 3mm of overnight rain, the Old course remained good to soft on Sunday, and the New course good to soft, good in places.

Pullin said: "I'm hoping good to soft will be the lead description for Tuesday, although given the dry forecast between now and the start of racing, we'll see whether some good ground creeps in.

"A band of rain is due to come in Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing somewhere between 2mm to 4mm. That should clear through Wednesday morning, with the afternoon mainly dry. It then remains dry into Thursday but Thursday itself is looking wet during the afternoon and then through the night into Friday. The forecasts vary, with some saying 4mm to 5mm and others showing a potential for double digits."

Pullin added: "There are no intentions to do any watering on the Old course. Although Monday looks brighter than today, the rain coming in after racing on Tuesday should freshen up the ground. Given the forecast, we're also holding off watering the New course but we'll keep a watching brief."

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