Testing times for Cheltenham

Conditions are set to be testing at Cheltenham for the first time in almost 12 years for their New Year's Day meeting.

The meeting is not in doubt but the going is officially described as heavy and it is possible an obstacle may be omitted.

"You have to go back to January 1995 to when we last had heavy ground - that was when Master Oats won the Pillar," said clerk of the course Simon Claisse.

"Conditions will be testing and, bearing in mind the ground conditions, the fields have stood up pretty well.

"We are expecting a little more rain today but then a dry night and a dry day tomorrow.

"We've had a good look this morning and there a couple of bits of the course that are a bit more on the heavy side.

"We'll just keep a watching brief and it really depends how much of this four to five millimetres of rain we are forecast that we actually get.

"If necessary, there is one hurdle we might have to miss out, but it all depends on what happens in the next 16-18 hours.

"If we did leave it that hurdle it would mean a long run to the last flight which is why we are leaving the decision until tomorrow morning," Claisse told Racing UK.