Cheltenham turns off the taps in the face of unsettled forecast with snow a possibility

Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin says he and his team are happy with the amount of moisture in the ground a week out from the festival and has called a halt to watering due to an uncertain outlook which could include snow flurries later this week. 

A dry second half of the winter following record temperatures last summer and a parched autumn meant that Pullin began watering across all three courses on February 13 but, having completed the latest cycle on Sunday, he is now content to let nature take over and review the situation at the weekend. 

The ground on the Old, New and Cross Country tracks was described as good to soft, good in places on Monday and Pullin is hopeful that a mixture of light rain and some more wintry precipitation will negate the need for further watering. 

"It's an unsettled forecast for the week ahead," said Pullin. "On that basis we finished watering at the weekend. We’re happy with where we are, which is a mixture of good to soft and good ground across the three courses. 

"Wintry showers are certainly forecast. Some could fall as light showers, some as sleet, and Thursday looks as if it’s more likely at this stage to fall potentially as snow."

Pullin added: "From Friday onwards we start to warm up again, with temperatures in double digits, which will help. It looks at this stage as if there could be some rain around on Friday and Sunday."

While no one day in the next week features more than light rain or drizzle, there is little sign of early spring sunshine in the forecast to significantly dry the course out, while any snow that falls will melt once temperatures start to rise after Thursday.  

"We’ll play it day-by-day this week and as we get closer to the weekend, the forecast will become clearer," said Pullin. "We've got that window of the weekend before if we did need to revisit the watering. Based on the forecast at this stage, I’d be hopeful that we’ll see enough natural irrigation through rainfall to keep us where we need to be."

For a number of years the aim has been to begin the festival on ground no faster than good to soft, although in four of the last five years wet weather in the run-up to the meeting has ensured that the official going description on day one has been soft or heavy. 

Punters have likewise become attuned to the accuracy with which both Pullin and his predecessor, Simon Claisse, have been able to hit their target in drier years. 

Only £25 has been matched on Betfair's exchange market as to whether the official going description would be good to soft, with yes available to back at 1.35.

Of the two bookmakers offering a market on day one going, William Hill is a best-priced 2-5 for good to soft, with soft next in at 11-4 and good ground – which last featured for the opening race in 2012 – is a 10-1 chance.

With the Old course in use for just the first two days, groundstaff have the opportunity to water the New course ahead of the action switching over for Thursday and Friday.

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