Cheltenham calls 3pm inspection for day one of BetVictor Gold Cup meeting

The first day of Cheltenham's BetVictor Gold Cup meeting on Friday is subject to an inspection at 3pm on Thursday due to the threat of heavy rain.

Following 20mm of rain overnight, there is standing water on parts of the course and the prospect of further rain has forced officials into calling the inspection.

Watch Baron Alco win last year's BetVictor Gold Cup

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: "The course is currently raceable, although we do have standing water in a number of places. We've had 20mm of rain overnight and it is forecast to continue until late afternoon."

The going on all three courses – chase, hurdle and cross-country – was changed to soft, heavy in places (from good to soft, soft in places) on Thursday morning.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and flooding in Gloucestershire and a further 15mm of rain is forecast for Thursday, with a few showers expected on Friday.

Claisse added: "We've already had the highest range of the forecast rain and it is going to continue through the day. It just depends what further rainfall we get in the next eight hours."

The three-day Cheltenham meeting is scheduled to start on Friday, with a six-race card headlined by the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Friday's card also features the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase and the fourth fence on the cross-country track has been taken out due to waterlogging.

The BetVictor Gold Cup, the highlight of the meeting, is due to be run on Saturday, with the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle the main attraction on Sunday.

Like large parts of the country, Cheltenham has experienced a very wet autumn and the track's last fixture on October 26 only went ahead following a last-minute inspection. The last time Cheltenham lost a meeting due to waterlogging was on New Year's Day in 2013.

Cheltenham Friday cards

Cheltenham Saturday cards

Cheltenham Sunday cards

Read The Lowdown from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com and the Racing Post mobile app with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news