Cheltenham Going

Bar the Bull

Bar the Bull

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
9,534
Location
Llandubno, West Wales (very west)
Ground is currently good to firm (good in places).

The course has received less than half its expected rainfall so far this year, and indeed the last 12 months has also seen only 50% of the usual rainfall for the area.

So it is dry.

And the next 10 days looks to be relatively settled in the UK, with not much chance of rain for the rest of the month.

So it looks like we may be relying on the taps again to avoid fast ground for the Festival.
 
A full reservoir gives Cheltenham the ability to put down about three inches of water (75mm) in the next three weeks. Claisse again confirmed he would be looking to produce good to soft ground to start the four-day festival on March 1
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So the going shouldn't be an appreciable issue this year in other words. Most won't have excuses in this regard if the course is watered to achieve safe jumping ground.
 
The ground will be given as 'Good-to-Soft' regardless of it's actual condition on the Tuesday, and I will be looking to side with the fast-ground merchants from half-way through the Wednesday.
 
Ground could be pretty darn quick given how little rain we've had this year. However, there's still plenty of time for that to change in the 3 weeks remaining.
 
Zenyatta said:
Ground could be pretty darn quick given how little rain we've had this year. However, there's still plenty of time for that to change in the 3 weeks remaining.
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They won't allow it to be too quick though. That's what the reservoir of water is for.
 
Zenyatta said:
If it stays dry it will be good to soft on Tuesday. Good by Wednesday, and nearer good to firm by Friday.
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That's more or less what I'm reckoning, with the proviso that they won't allow it to be anywhere near good/firm for the Gold Cup. It's run on a separate course (the New Course) which will watered after Tuesday if necessary.
 
I agree that they'll never call it good to firm but if it stays dry and warm then it will be on the quick side of good by the Gold Cup, much like last year.

The ground description always appears more of a PR exercise than anything else. Starting on good to soft and gradually firming up to be on the quick side of good by Friday must be the 'expected' (under normal conditions) outcome.

Obviously that can all change if the rain we are due all comes at once!
 
I should clarify when I say 'due' I mean the rain which, on average, we would have been expected to have. Simple law of averages not speculative forecasts!
 
Strange how it's been so wet (or normally wet) in Ireland and so dry across the Irish Sea.

If we don't get any significant rain between now and the Festival then the water table will be very low. I know Cheltenham drains very well now so shouldn't be too much of a consideration but we'll be very reliant on Simon Claisse to deliver good to soft ground at this rate. Left to nature and it'll be firm the way we're going.
 
:confused: We have not had 3 days in a row without some rain since last April!!!!
 
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Basically, there has been a high pressure system more or less over Bay of Biscay and France for the past 4 or 5 months.

Frontal systems have been moving in a SW to NE direction associated with lows further north. These fronts haven't been able to approach the south of England very often as the high has kept them at bay.

So NW of a line from Limerick to Aberdeen has been very wet and windy. Between this line and a line from Cork to Newcastle has been mild, breezy with average rainfall. And anything south east of this has been a drought.
 
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With all due respect Midday today tells us nothing. Only certainty is the going will be green.

They say if you can see Cleeve Hill it's going to rain and if you can't it's because it's raining.

Cheltenham is in the Uk not Central Africa which means it could be good ground one day and heavy the next.

I was there the year we lost a day when Ten Up won the Gold Cup and Andy Turnell got of the fancied Cuckolder and won the last on Sommerville because the former wouldn't go a yard on heavy ground.........it pissed down like a friggin Monsoon and a week before they were talking good ground if I remember correctly.
 
From the RP site:

CHELTENHAM'S battle against the elements could receive a timely boost on Sunday with a significant amount of rainfall forecast.

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse has faced a struggle to produce his aim of good to soft ground for the first day of the festival due to dry conditions, but a decent amount of rainfall will be a big help.

He said on Saturday: "We had half a millimetre this morning and we are forecast up to 12 millimetres on Sunday, which would be very welcome."

Between ten and 15 millimetresis forecast to fall in the Cheltenham area on Sunday according to a Met Office spokesman, who said: "There will be rain through the morning, which will be heavy at times, between ten and 15 millimetres.

"It will then be dry in the afternoon and a clear night Sunday into Monday, with a risk of frost. That should lift readily out of the ground Monday with a fine and dry day forecast. Tuesday is set to be similar to Monday before things will become more unsettled on Wednesday."

The going at Cheltenham was on Saturday described as good, good to firm in places on the Old and New course, and good to firm, firm in places on the cross country course.
 
Tanlic said:
With all due respect Midday today tells us nothing. Only certainty is the going will be green.QUOTE]

See your point Tanlic, but my point was that the rain forecast for the area had not arrived, except for a light shower at midday.

With the weather around here as it is, it will take at least a week of rain to make any difference to the ground and then, with an area as exposed as the racecourse, it would only take a windy day or two to dry it all out again.
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soil temperature is quite important with regard to how quickly going can change. Frost opens the ground pores. Even not so heavy rain can thus change going. Soil temp in excess of 6 degrees needed for grass growth which absorbs water. Remember how quickly the going deteriorated two years ago on the friday. Best tip for anyone near the racecourse is pick stones off the ground to feel how cold they are. When you have enough of this done call your psychiatrist !
 
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