Cheltenham Going

By Lee Mottershead 4:31PM 14 MAR 2010
A SUNNY, breezy Sunday continued the drying of Cheltenham and led clerk of the course Simon Claisse to admit that the Festival could open on ground slightly quicker than the latest description of good to soft, good in places.
With the weather set to stay dry until at least Wednesday and watering on the Old Course ruled out, Cheltenham will ride as nature intended on Tuesday.
Clerk of the course Simon Claisse has strived for good to soft ground

Claisse said: "At this time of year, the top layer dries out in the breeze, but there's plenty of moisture in the ground. It's slowly drying out and I wouldn't rule out that at some point on Tuesday we might well end up good, good to soft in places.
"I can't predict when, though, as I can't second guess the rate at which it dries out as that depends on a combination of the sun, the strength of the wind and the direction of the wind."
With Cheltenham's own forecast predicting between 2.5mm and 3.5mm of rain on Thursday and up to 3mm on Friday, Claisse has delayed a decision on watering of the New Course, used on Thursday and Friday, until Monday at the earliest.
After walking Cheltenham on Sunday, trainer Alan King said: "There's plenty of moisture in it and I think it will ride a bit dead."

Captain Cee Bee's trainer Edward Harty added: "At the minute, it's on the soft side, but if the prevailing weather stays as it is now, I'd say it will be riding good on Tuesday."
 
Remember Steve Mellish gave a rough guide as to what the time of the Supreme could potentially tell us about the state of the ground on the RUK preview last year (which I've unfortunately missed this year). Does anyone remember those times off the top of their head or, better still, have a set of their own?

Obviously it can be little more than a very rough barometer, but every little thing helps!
 
Each to their own but I usually base on my judgements on the actual performances of horses I consider to be soft/good ground performers.
 
trackside528 said:
Remember Steve Mellish gave a rough guide as to what the time of the Supreme could potentially tell us about the state of the ground on the RUK preview last year (which I've unfortunately missed this year). Does anyone remember those times off the top of their head or, better still, have a set of their own?

Obviously it can be little more than a very rough barometer, but every little thing helps!
Click to expand...

The RP standard time is 3:52. Recent winners as follows:
Arcalis 3:53:1 on Good,
Noland 3:54.5 on Good
Ebadiyan 3:56.1 on G/S.
Captain Cee Bee 4:06:5 on Soft
Go Native 4:01.1 on G/S
 
By Lee Mottershead 9:53AM 15 MAR 2010
CHELTENHAM clerk of the course Simon Claisse has definitively ruled out any further watering in advance of the start of racing on Tuesday.

Speaking on Sunday, Claisse revealed that an inconclusive forecast for rain later in the week was making a decision on watering the New Course, used on Thursday and Friday, a difficult one.


However, the latest indications given to Claisse suggest that rain on those two days could be significant, a verdict backed up by Met Office predictions for "heavy and persistent" precipitation for the final two days of the Festival.
Speaking on Monday morning, Claisse - who had already decided not to water the Old Course, in action on Tuesday and Wednesday - said: "I made clear on Sunday that if the signals for rain strengthened, I would not water the New Course on Monday, and the signals have strengthened.
"I would be committed to the funny farm if I watered now given those strengthening signals, so I'm not going to water.
"However, I have said all along that, if necessary, we can water later in the week. I would also not rule out changing the going description from good to soft, good in places to good, good to soft in places, should the need arise."
 
lol - the weather forecast was VERY blue over the whole of the bottom half of the country Thurs and Friday - and Im not sure that they were pre-empting the air when an odds on shot gets turned over...
 
small amount of rain tomorrow afternoon...

planning to water a little (think he said 3mm or so?) somewhere (back straight??) overnight - I wasnt really listening - I was too busy trying to remember backing Weapons Amnesty in Feb ( I cant, but according to betfair I did - so yay !!)

so I doubt ive helped you much at all.... but ive tried !!
 
Seriously worried from some of the comments this morning that Claisse may have overdone the watering.

I can't see that the genuine good ground has been a problem over the past two days so why doctor it to good to soft?

Poquelin's chance will be diminished, Atouchbetweenacara can't win on good to soft and Shillingstone's chances will have also taken a nosedive.
 
treetangle said:
Seriously worried from some of the comments this morning that Claisse may have overdone the watering.

I can't see that the genuine good ground has been a problem over the past two days so why doctor it to good to soft?

Poquelin's chance will be diminished, Atouchbetweenacara can't win on good to soft and Shillingstone's chances will have also taken a nosedive.
Click to expand...

I will be seriously annoyed if they have ruined the ground - it was fine and expected to rain.
 
Edward O'Grady, Robert Thornton and Steve Mellish all suggested the ground was considerably softer than the first two days.
 
Lots of rain coming from the south, but it looks like it will arrive too late for the Gold Cup.
 
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