Will weather threaten Cheltenham?

A decade on from the last time a day was abandoned at the Cheltenham Festival, the recent bad weather has seen the public think it could happen again.

Bookmakers have opened markets on the weather impacting on the Olympics of the Horse Racing world.

In 2008, the second day of the Festival cancelled due to high winds with all Wednesday races moved to Thursday and Friday but you have to go back to 1978 for the last time the weather made the track unraceable and that was Gold Cup day, and because of snow.

“It is 16/1 at the moment for the Festival to be impacted by the weather, but you have to wonder some people may have a go at this considering the current conditions,” said OddsMonkey spokesman Peter Watton.

“Cheltenham think they will be okay, but it is hard to predict the weather this far in advance.

“Most Bookmakers are also pricing up the going on the first day, and the weather has seen some changes there with Soft cut to 7/2 with Good to Soft still the favourite at 1/4.”

Selected Cheltenham Odds:
A day lost to weather at 2018 Cheltenham Festival: 16/1

Official going for opening race of Cheltenham Festival: 
Good to soft 1/4
Soft 7/2
Good 10/1