Cheltenham Update

Cheltenham remain "very optimistic" that this weekend's meeting will take place.

The Chase and Hurdle course were covered in its entirety on Sunday and those covers remain in place. The take-offs and landings have been covered on the Cross Country course.

Sharp overnight frosts and low daytime temperatures are forecast until Thursday. Temperatures are then predicted to rise on Friday and Saturday, with daytime highs of between four and five degrees Celsius and overnight lows of around minus one degrees Celsius.

Simon Claisse, Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing, commented: "The Chase and Hurdle course is currently in a raceable condition beneath the covers, although we couldn't actually race today as the temperature is currently minus six.

"We have experienced overnight lows of up to minus 11 degrees Celsius over the past couple of nights, so the forecast minus four or five over the next few days should prove no problem.

"With the current forecast predicting a distinct temperature rise on Friday and Saturday, we remain very optimistic about The International going ahead."

The going at Cheltenham is currently good on the Chase and Hurdle tracks and good, good to firm and frozen in places on the Cross Country course.