Claisse expects downpour at Cheltenham

The opening day of Cheltenham's Open meeting was graced with pleasant conditions but forecasts suggest rain is imminent and the ground, which was good, good to soft in places on Friday, is likely to deteriorate.

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse said on Friday: "The forecast remains pretty wet from the early hours of tomorrow morning through until about lunchtime and we could see anything from 8-12mm of rain. That would change the going to good to soft.

"If we got more than that, and some of the forecasts are showing up to 20mm, it could well go to soft."