Cheltenham take cover

Officials at Cheltenham are taking no chances ahead of Festival Trials Day and are likely to deploy frost covers.

The meeting, which offers several significant pointers to the big meeting in March and is the last time there is racing at Prestbury Park before then, was lost to the elements in 2006.

With temperatures set to dip below freezing on Friday night, clerk of the course Simon Claisse is prepared to make an early decision.

“As forecast, today has been dry and the going is now soft all over,” said Claisse.

“The forecast is for between four and six millimetres of rain between tomorrow and Friday, with cooler temperatures arriving at the end of the week.

“We will make a final decision tomorrow, but the provisional plan at this stage is to put down frost covers on Thursday as a precautionary measure.”