CHELTENHAM races is ON – but bosses will continue to ‘monitor conditions’ throughout the day with two weather warnings still in place.
Two severe weather threats – one of them amber – have been issued for the home of jumps.
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It looks like it almost certainly will be a damp start to the Cheltenham November Meeting, with punters advised to pack a brolly amid two weather warningsCredit: Splash
It could be wet and wild on day one of the November Meeting at Cheltenham with two weather warnings issued for the trackCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription
This Met Office map shows Cheltenham racecourse is set to be hammered by 8mm of rain in one hour on Friday morning – with the potential for the darker orange band to bring 16mm in just one hourCredit: Met Office
The amber warning will remain in place until 11.59pm tonight while the yellow warning will apply until 6am Saturday.
There is a ‘medium likelihood’ of flooding and disruption on Friday afternoon, according to the Met Office.
‘Significantly more’ than 30mm of rain was forecast to hammer the track Thursday night into Friday.
And it still looks particularly heavy at around 7.30am today, where up to 8mm could fall in just an hour.
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There is set to be prolonged rain throughout the day, with at least a 90 per cent chance of rain at any point today until midnight.
Gusts in excess of 40mph are also expected to hit Prestbury Park.
But bosses confirmed the ground was safe early on Friday ahead of day one following a lower-than-expected reading overnight.
A post read: “Following 7mm of rain overnight the going is good to soft, soft in places and the course is raceable.
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“There are currently no inspections planned.
“However there is significant rainfall forecast throughout the day and we will continue to monitor conditions.
“Racegoers are reminded to dress appropriately for the weather, follow all directional signage when arriving at the racecourse and make the most of the indoor spaces available on site.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding and we will update you accordingly throughout the day.”
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, which would have been held today, was abandoned at the start of this month due to firm and ‘unraceable’ ground.
It was thought Cheltenham would almost certainly be racing on soft or heavy ground for day one of the November Meeting.
But the track’s excellent drainage coupled with the decreased rainfall means, for now, it remains perfect jumps ground.
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