As I write this there are just over 53 hours to the scheduled start of the first race at the Cheltenham Festival.
Not I use the expression “scheduled start”, this is because the Met Office are forecasting the mother and father of all storms to arrive overnight tonight and into tomorrow.
Indeed if some reports are to be believed it is not only the mother and father of storms, it looks as though they may be inviting the entire family along as well.
It is not so much the rainfall that concerns me but the wind and the damage it could do to the tented areas at Cheltenham. I was at Huntingdon last year when a min-whirlwind hit the course, with strengths nothing like those forecast in the next 24 hours. There tents and marquees were lifted like matchwood and some brave soles fought to contain the damage, but it bought home the damaging effect the wind can have.
Even if Cheltenham escapes there will still be potential problems getting some runners to the course …. oh it is so worrying.
It isn’t as though there is not enough to worry about, without the weather concerns.
On Friday the Gold Cup looks to have the potential to be one of the greatest of all time as stable mates Kauto Star and Denman come head to head for the first time.
The champion taken on by the great pretender. If Kauto Star wins he will go down in the annals of racing history as one of the greats. If not he owes nothing to his connections.
Not I use the expression “scheduled start”, this is because the Met Office are forecasting the mother and father of all storms to arrive overnight tonight and into tomorrow.
Indeed if some reports are to be believed it is not only the mother and father of storms, it looks as though they may be inviting the entire family along as well.
It is not so much the rainfall that concerns me but the wind and the damage it could do to the tented areas at Cheltenham. I was at Huntingdon last year when a min-whirlwind hit the course, with strengths nothing like those forecast in the next 24 hours. There tents and marquees were lifted like matchwood and some brave soles fought to contain the damage, but it bought home the damaging effect the wind can have.
Even if Cheltenham escapes there will still be potential problems getting some runners to the course …. oh it is so worrying.
It isn’t as though there is not enough to worry about, without the weather concerns.
On Friday the Gold Cup looks to have the potential to be one of the greatest of all time as stable mates Kauto Star and Denman come head to head for the first time.
The champion taken on by the great pretender. If Kauto Star wins he will go down in the annals of racing history as one of the greats. If not he owes nothing to his connections.
Of course there are twenty-one other races at Cheltenham this week – bring them on.
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