Cheltenham Course in “Better Shape Than Last Year”

It looks like punters will be spared the surface drama in 2011 as the clerk of the course at Cheltenham declared that the going is looking better than what we saw during the build-up in 2010. The current assumptions are that “good to soft” will be the result once we get round to the opening day on March 15.

Speaking to the press this morning, Simon Claisse explained, “the going is a mixture of soft and good to soft. My official going description of both courses would be soft, good in places.” He went on to state that the difference was marginal.

At the moment, the going stick ranges from 5.9 to 6.5.

There will be a slightly different set up to several events this year and Claisse did his best to explain, “for races over two miles, two and a half and four miles, there is an extra obstacle to be negotiated.” He also indicated a slight variation for the hurdles contests, “(hurdles) will be in the same position as last year and nearer to the winning line than we were used to from 2009 back.”

The clerk of the course declared that they expected well over 215,000 to be in attendance over the four days of the de factor world championships of jumps racing.