CHELTENHAM NEWS

Claisse – Cheltenham in great shape

Cheltenham clerk of the course Simon Claisse says the track is in “great nick” ahead of this month's anticipated Festival.

It has been quite the 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic and horse racing, like many other sports, has had to adapt and deal with the different society that we live in today.

Restrictions on social contact has forced equestrian enthusiasts to watch their beloved racing from TV screens instead of being at the venue, but there is now a road to coming out of lockdown and venues hope to allow spectators back this summer.

Cheltenham's prestigious Festival, which runs from March 16-19, will be behind-closed-doors but that won't take anything away from what promises to be another fantastic event at Prestbury Park and to keep up with all the latest odds visit horsebetting.com.

With the amount of rain that has fallen in 2021, it was unclear just how well the Gloucestershire track would hold out and whether it would become a slog for the horses in potential heavy conditions.

However, some good recent weather has helped and Claisse, who expects the ground to be mainly good to soft for the start of the four-day Festival, says everything is looking good right now.

“The track is looking in great nick – and maybe we could be looking for some rain in a week or so's time, which is ironic in a way,” he told a press conference zoom call.

“All courses are now set up and ready to go and where we want to be with a fortnight before we start racing.”