'I've had a lot of support' - Cheltenham's clerk Jon Pullin gets trainer backing

Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin, criticised on Wednesday for watering before the track was hit by heavy rain, welcomed the support he had received from trainers for making that call.

It was a policy criticised by champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who withdrew the fancied Bravemansgame from Wednesday's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, as well as scratching Saint Calvados and Simply The Betts from the Ryanair Chase and Craft Irish Whiskey Co Plate Handicap Chase on Thursday.

Nicky Henderson also hit out at conditions on Wednesday, described as good, good to soft in places first thing but ended up as heavy after 21mm of rain, which he blamed for Shishkin's surprise flop in the Champion Chase, although he had sympathy for Pullin.

Local trainer Kim Bailey shared that view, saying "it makes you realise what a shocking job the clerk of the course has" as he revealed in forthright fashion that he messed up by withdrawing Fair Frontieres from the Coral Cup on Wednesday in the belief the ground would not be soft enough for him.

'Why water?' – Paul Nicholls questions clerk after late Bravemansgame withdrawal

Pullin, overseeing his first festival having joined Cheltenham last year, made the decision to water after the first day of the festival on Tuesday when some wondered whether the ground was quicker than the official good-to-soft going.

"As far as yesterday was concerned, I've received a lot of support and there are numerous trainers who were here yesterday and sent messages overnight and this morning, who were supportive of the decision to water on Tuesday night," he said on Thursday morning.

"Willie [Mullins] alluded to quickening ground on Tuesday and I spoke to the jockeys later in the afternoon, and the view was it had quickened quite a bit during the day. At that stage, with the forecast we had, there didn't seem to be a lot of rain around for yesterday.

"The rain had come in and out of the forecast and the volumes had gone up and down, so it was inconsistent, but what we were looking at on Tuesday and yesterday morning was minimal rainfall, which turned into 21mm.

"I don't think anyone predicted what we got across the country, so it was unusual circumstances and there was a lot of support for the decision we made."

Jon Pullin: 'with the forecast we had, there didn't seem to be a lot of rain around for yesterday'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The former jump jockey, who has also been clerk at Doncaster, Uttoxeter, Southwell and Wolverhampton, faced another headache before the Champion Bumper on Wednesday when standing water meant an area of the course had to be bypassed by jockeys.

"We had so much rain and where we'd taken the hurdles out, there was unstable ground around where the hurdle legs had gone in," Pullin added on Racing TV.

"It was the sensible decision to bypass those three hurdles where we'd got that unstable ground, and the jockeys were great. They took the line we wanted and we had a successful race."

Bailey, who trains 8.4 miles from Cheltenham, was also among those taken aback by the downpour.

It rained heavily at Cheltenham on WednesdayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"You should never believe the weather apps or the forecasters as yesterday morning we were informed that they were expecting 2mm of rain at Cheltenham on top of a dry night, so I foolishly took Fair Frontieresout of his intended race as he wanted soft ground," he posted on his blog on Thursday morning.

"Well, I have to hold my hands up and say that I made a huge mistake and basically I, in old money terms, f***** up.

"However much I apologised to all connections, it was the wrong call."

The going for Thursday's card, which takes place on fresh ground on the New course, was described as soft.

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