Soft ground expected at Cheltenham Clerk of the course Simon Claisse expects soft ground at Cheltenham for the Open Meeting following rain on Wednesday night into Thursday morning and more forecast over the next 48 hours. "We had a little bit of rain overnight, about four millimetres, and have gone good to soft, good in places on the chase and hurdles courses," said Claisse. "The cross country track is that little bit quicker, it didn't have the irrigation on it earlier in the year, and is still good, good to firm places. There is the anticipation of seven to nine millimetres of rain overnight." The forecast then is for more rain to follow. "We're looking at a pretty wet afternoon on Friday with strengthening winds but nothing that would concern us. There's meant to be a little interlude in the rain on Friday night into early Saturday morning then another belt of rain comes through. We're looking as if we are going to get a bright afternoon on Saturday. "I would think, given that forecast, the ground may have gone soft by Saturday but it depends on the timing of the rainfall. If it stops mid-morning then it will be soft, if it goes on raining through racing it may go further than that."
