Watering starts at Cheltenham as drying conditions turn going to good to soft

Cheltenham officials commenced selective watering on Thursday as the forecast significance of two small bands of rain due on Friday and Monday continued to recede. 

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin removed the final reference to soft from the going description on Thursday morning, changing to good to soft all over, while Cheltenham was once again bathed in sunshine as temperatures reached the mid-teens. 

Speaking on Thursday evening, Pullin said: "The forecasts are now more aligned with there being very little rain on Friday. The rain band is to the west of us and we might get a millimetre but nothing more than that is in any of the forecasts.

Cheltenham's clerk of the course John PullinCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"On that basis, and with confirmation that the weekend will be both dry and warm, with temperatures of 16 or maybe even 17C, we’ve commenced selective watering just to maintain the good to soft ground."

Pullin has concentrated watering efforts on the New course in use on day three and four, which will be exposed to more dry weather next week before the action switches from the Old course in use on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Today the irrigation has been primarily on the New course but where it’s adjacent to areas that we know we need to do for the Old course, we’ve done that as well," he said.

Any final pre-festival showers on Monday look negligible and Pullin added: "Even the rain that is in the forecast for Monday has reduced in volume and again it’s only a millimetre for us here. The rest of the week is predominantly dry, although a lot cooler with temperatures around 8C or 9C.

"There is frost around for a couple of nights next week. We’ll be fine to race, although it might be a little bit slower to come out of the ground than it was earlier this week, given the lower daytime temperatures."

The going on the cross-country course remains soft, heavy in placesCredit: Edward Whitaker

The accelerated drying has not extended to the cross-country course, which stages the Glenfarclas Chase on Wednesday. "The cross-country course remains pretty testing, we’re still soft with heavy in places," Pullin said. 

"The heavy would be around the top loop in front of the stands, the rest would be predominantly soft ground."

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