Cheltenham team consider watering

Cheltenham clerk of the course Simon Claisse anticipates having to water the course once more this weekend ahead of the start of the Festival on Tuesday week.

Claisse brought out the sprinklers towards the end of last week following a dry spell and anticipates doing the same in the coming days.

He said: “There are now just 13 days to go to the Festival and this time last year the ground was soft, heavy in places.

“We have had nearly as much rain this winter but the pattern has been different.

“Approaching last weekend the ground was at the fast end of good, so we put half an inch of water onto the new and old courses. If we hadn’t, the ground would now be good to firm.

“It is now good to soft, good in places and we are forecast between 26 and 37 millimetres of rain between now and Friday week.

“If we get that then it will hold the course in perfect condition for racing, but I have a hunch that I will have to water again this weekend to keep us on the slow side of good to soft.”

Claisse reported that minor alterations have been made to the second-last fence on the old course following the death of Paul Nicholls’ Granit Jack in November.

He added: “After extensive consultation between jockeys, trainers, vets and the BHA we have made minor alterations to the second-last fence on the old course.

“We have altered the profile by pulling out the toe-board by six inches and by rounding off the shoulder.

“Denis O’Regan jumped the fence a couple of weeks ago on a horse of Howard Johnson’s and said it was perfect.”