Five Days To Go

After months of anticipation and preparation, the first-ever four-day Festival at Cheltenham is set to get underway on Tuesday with 24 fantastic races in prospect. The cream of Britain, Ireland and France's jumping talent will converge on Prestbury Park to compete for £2.71 million of prize money in front of a huge audience.

A few tickets are still available for the Best Mate Enclosure on Thursday but it is now sold out on the remaining three days.

There will be around 5,000 tickets on sale for the Club and Tattersalls Enclosures at a Box Office outside the main entrance on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Club badges cost £60 per day while Tattersalls admission is £30.

Edward Gillespie, Managing Director at Cheltenham Racecourse, said: 'This year a new chapter is added to The Festival's long and illustrious history when we race for a fourth day next week.

'The stage is set for 24 great races and we look forward to welcoming both our regular visitors and those making their first trip to The Festival. Our first objective for the four-day format is to make the racing even more attractive than it has been in the past and, with excellent entries across the card and the course in terrific condition, we are well on the way to achieving this.'

Ground

The going on Wednesday afternoon was GOOD-TO-SOFT, GOOD IN PLACES, on the Chase and Hurdle courses and GOOD-TO-SOFT, SOFT IN PLACES on the Cross-Country Course.

Simon Claisse, Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham, said: 'We are forecast a little light rain on Friday then a cold weekend, warmer weather on Tuesday followed by rain that evening.'

The racing surface has been expanded for the four-day Festival and Claisse added: 'The New Course has a fresh strip of ground available for Thursday and then another for totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup day on Friday.

'In total we have around five acres extra racing surface this year between the Old and New Courses, enabling us to have two separate hurdle courses from the two-mile start as well as fresh ground for both Thursday and Friday on the New chase course.'