Showers ease Festival ground

The ground at Cheltenham has eased slightly ahead of the start of the Festival meeting later today.

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse reports the ground to be good to soft, soft in places after two millimetres of rain overnight.

The four-day fixture kicks off at 1.30pm and Claisse is anticipating a largely dry day.

“Even our forecast was saying five or six millimetres but we only got two and most of that came between 6pm and 7pm yesterday,” he told At The Races.

“I don’t think (there should be any excuses) as if you wanted it livelier, you knew you weren’t going to get that.

“We may get the odd shower today but it will be no more than one or two millimetres.”