Newbury watering to maintain good ground before Saturday's Coral Gold Cup card

Newbury will continue to water before the second day of the Coral Gold Cup meeting in an attempt to maintain good ground, with jockey feedback suggesting the chase course was riding quicker than the hurdles track.

The track had been described as like a "thirsty hippo" in the build-up to the marquee two-day fixture by clerk of the course Keith Ottesen. Some jumps fixtures have been hit by small fields in recent weeks due to quick conditions, most noticeably last Saturday's high-profile card at Ascot, but with the ground good on the opening day, officials at the track elected to put 5-8mm on after racing to try and maintain the status quo.

Speaking after racing on Friday, Ottesen said: "There isn't any rain in the forecast. We'll water the home straight now [after the last] and we'll put on 5-8mm.

"The feedback I've had is that the hurdle course is lovely ground, it's a tiny bit quicker on the chase course and I know full well how things have been going, that it will definitely dry out a bit.

"Hopefully we'll be starting tomorrow on good ground and we'll be making sure that we maintain that good ground overnight. It's another dry day tomorrow, a little bit cloudier than today and should be around 12C."

Constitution Hill: set to take his chance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle where they have watered to maintain 'genuine winter ground'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The going is good to soft on the hurdles course and good to soft, soft in places on the chase course at Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle card, where Constitution Hill and Epatante clash in the feature and L'Homme Presse returns in the Rehearsal Chase.

It is forecast to be dry through to racing, with selective watering having taken place at the track in order to provide "genuine winter ground" according to clerk of the course Eloise Quayle.

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