Cheltenham Ground - Updated This Afternoon

The ground changed this afternoon to:

• GOOD - Chase & Hurdles Courses from good, good to soft in places
• GOOD, GOOD TO SOFT IN PLACES - Cross Country Course from good to soft, good in places

Simon Claisse, Cheltenham´s Clerk of the Course, reported this afternoon: 'I have changed the ground on the chase and hurdle courses to good this afternoon after a dry day. It was only good to soft for about half a furlong going down the hill this morning.

'We could have five to seven millimetres of rain just before and during racing on Tuesday. There is rain forecast overnight - with two to three millimetres expected and in the morning - another three to four millimetres - before clearing in the afternoon.

'With generally colder temperatures forecast for this week, I would not anticipate the ground drying out to anything faster than good.

'We have experienced the coldest and driest winter for the past 10 years in 2006.

'Fortunately, we have had 20 millimetres of rain over the last three weeks so it has come at the right time.'

Edward O´Grady, Ireland´s most successful current trainer at The Festival with 17 wins, walked the course this morning and commented: 'The track is looking the best I have seen it for years.

'I would say that the fact there was no January meeting has been a big factor.

'The ground is predominantly good with it being slightly on the dead side in places.

'It should suit most horses. Only if horses want extremely fast going or extremely soft going would they be inconvenienced.'

Henrietta Knight, trainer of the three-time totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate and this year´s leading Irish Independent Arkle Trophy hope Racing Demon, also walked the course this morning and is happy with the state of the ground.

She said: 'I´d be happy with the ground at the moment - it should suit any type of horse.

'I would say it´s riding on the easy of good but is certainly not soft - it is likely to be just on the easy side of good tomorrow.

'With this wind, it could dry out later in the week and I´m not sure how it will ride come Friday.'

NON-RUNNER

2.00pm, Tuesday, March 14 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices´ Hurdle

20 Zaiyad (FR) - was left in due to administrative error