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Critical change in Festival forecast5th March 2008
Prestbury Park is going to get wet. In the space of 24 hours, weather forecasters significantly altered their predictions and, with potentially large quantities of rain now expected to fall on the track, artificial watering may have come to an end.
A decision on whether the whole of Cheltenham will be irrigated before the Festival starts was due to be made tomorrow (Thursday) morning, but clerk of the course Simon Claisse, who on Tuesday had predicted that taps would again be turned on, was today minded to let nature take its course.
Claisse, who described the Old and cross-country courses as good with good to soft places and the New course as good to soft with good places, said: "That may now be it for watering. All the forecasts I have seen seem to be saying the same thing, including that given to us by John Kettley, who has upped his forecast for rain between Friday and Tuesday. As a result, we may now take the decision not to do another bout of watering, although we have a third option, which would be to put a small quantity on the quicker parts of the Old and cross-country courses."
A Met Office spokesman on Wednesday predicted 4mm to 5mm of rain in the early hours of Friday morning with light showers due to follow through the day.
"Prolonged and quite heavy rain" could fall on Cheltenham on Saturday, with at least 10mm to 15mm on the cards. Sunday has the potential to be even worse with "showers, showers and more showers" a distinct possibility, while rain through Sunday night will, if the forecasts are correct, give way to wintry showers on Monday afternoon.
Things are not expected to get better when the racing starts as Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are already expected to be both wet and chilly, with temperatures not likely to hit double figures.