Cheltenham Festival 2024: St Patrick's Thursday weather and going update ahead of day three

The going at Cheltenham has eased to soft ahead of Thursday’s action at Prestbury Park.

Ahead of Thursday’s action, Jon Pullin, clerk of the course, believes, with just 2-3mm forecast, that we will start and finish on soft ground. He said: "We were dry overnight and we're soft this morning. We'll be dry this morning and then there are a few showers moving in from around lunchtime, in the range of 2-3mm.

"The forecast suggests there's a little bit of drizzle around through the night, but nothing really measurable, and then we have a similar situation tomorrow with some brighter spells and some showers, around another 2-3mm."

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Asked if the ground could return to heavy, he replied: "I wouldn't have thought so at this stage, not with only a couple of millimetres.

“It walked really nicely this morning and hopefully as long as we don't get too much, I wouldn't envisage that. I'd expect it to stay soft today."

In terms of the weather forecast for today, the Met Office is predicting a cloudy start changing to heavy rain in the afternoon.

St Patrick's Thursday full schedule

1:30pm - The Turners Novices' race.

2:10pm - The Pertemps Network Final.

2:50pm - The Ryanair Steeple Chase.

3:30pm - Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

4:10pm - Magners Plate.

4:50pm - Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices' Hurdle.

5:30pm - Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup.