What price a soft ground Cheltenham?

With just over a month before the start of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, the prospect of soft ground at Prestbury Park looks ever more likely with the weather remaining very unsettled.

Cheltenham has been particularly hit by the inclement weather this year losing their New Year's Day meeting along with the Festival Trials day on January 30 both due to waterlogging.

The UK racing calendar continues to be decimated by rain, snow and freezing temperatures with jumps racing wiped out this week.

Paddy Power have opened a book on what the going will be for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival with the traditional good to soft still the odds-on favourite.

Spokesman Paul Binfield said, "With the significant rainfall we've seen over the last two months, there's a good case that we might have a soft ground Festival. However, we still believe there's time for the weather to dry up and the extravaganza open on its traditional good to soft."

Paddy Power bet: 4/6 Good to Soft, 11/10 Soft, 8/1 Heavy, 25/1 Good.

Coral take a contrary view of the two market leaders and bet: 4/6 Soft, 6/4 Good to Soft, 9/2 Heavy, 25/1 Good, 100 Any other.