CHELTENHAM bosses are ‘monitoring conditions’ at the racecourse with Storm Claudia set to cause havoc on day one of the November Meeting.
Two weather warnings – one of them amber – have been issued for the home of jumps.
There is a ‘medium likelihood’ of flooding and disruption on Friday afternoon, according to the Met Office.
‘Significantly more’ than 30mm of rain is forecast to hammer the track tonight into tomorrow.
While gusts in excess of 40mph are also expected to hit Prestbury Park.
The going on the Old course is currently good to soft, good in places but it could change dramatically before the first race at 1.10pm.
The track, which will be hosting its second meeting of the season, has already been forced to cancel one race.
Ironically, the much-loved Cross Country Chase was abandoned at the start of this month due to firm and ‘unraceable’ ground.
That going looks like it will firmly be a distant memory by the time the first lot line up on Friday.
Clerk of the course Jon Pullin told the Racing Post: “If we’ve had significant rainfall before racing tomorrow, we’ll almost certainly be starting on soft ground, and we’ll see where conditions go after that.
Most read in Horse Racing
“Racing during heavy rain does tend to open it up more and it can ease it further.
“We’ll continue to do our best to get racing on and hopefully we’ll see some great racing this weekend.
“The forecast is the rain to continue after racing and finish about midnight on Friday and we’re pretty dry thereafter.
“We might see a very light shower on Saturday, but nothing too measurable in volume, and Sunday certainly looks dry.”
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
