Cheltenham top brass are “reasonably confident” Friday’s card will beat a precautionary 7.30am inspection on Thursday – but concede the task of staging Saturday’s International Hurdle fixture is “a bit more challenging”.
Groundstaff at National Hunt racing’s home put down frost covers on Wednesday as a forecast -5C freeze threatened the two-day meeting, at which 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante and last month’s Greatwood Handicap Hurdle victor I Like To Move It are set to cross swords in the Unibet-sponsored International Hurdle on Saturday.
Reporting temperatures to have dipped below freezing on Tuesday night, Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “We are getting the covers down now and I would be hopeful the covers will do their job, given the forecast.
