Weather Watch 2025

[Rooster Booster]

I was trying to stay out as well.
But couldn't help myself.

We've had conspiracy theories and everything so far. But no fucking rain.

To answer the conspiracy around the difference in going stick measurements, I'd probably put it down to whether a man or woman is doing it, and how hard or soft they push it in.

There has also been sightings and erections also.

Lets hope the equipment is kept under wraps though.

Put a hold on that security breach …I can confirm this is the real Q

[Ballybeen]

The latest going report from turf track today at 1pm

After a dry day @CheltenhamRaces the Official Going is Old & New: Good to Soft (Soft places), Cross Country: Soft (Heavy places). GoingStick: Old 5.3, New 5.7, CC 4.2 on 04-03-25 at 13:00. For live weather updates: bit.ly/3sSSF7j #CheltenhamFestival

[Prestbury]

Another glorious sunny day again. There is no rain at all in the latest forecast now so I think watering is certain. They are not watering currently but there are two rigs positioned on the inside of the course, one at the start of the back straight and one in the middle of the back straight before they start to climb the hill.

I think it was Quevega who raised the question about what was the issue with watering - one of the responses (sorry cant remember from whom) was that it can create uneven ground which I totally agree with (especially at Cheltenham where the topography can cause water too pool) . In my view there is a greater risk of this the more water they have to put on. For that reason I much prefer when they water little and often - i.e. 2mm per day rather than 6mm in one go. So, given the forecast of no rain I hope that they get the hoses out soon and just sprinkle a couple of mm on over each of the next few days to maintain the current G/S.

[Ballybeen]

Tony Calvin has said on Twitter that watering is to start today.

[Prestbury]

Watering has started. They are currently watering in two spots, both in the back straight, the first in the middle of the flat part of the back straight and the second about 40-50 yards after the climb starts. They are watering both courses.

[Eggs]

…..lots of rain overnight and still wet here in the North-West, interesting if any of that found its way to Cheltenham.

[Lobos]

…..lots of rain overnight and still wet here in the North-West, interesting if any of that found its way to Cheltenham.

Spits of it .....

[Eggs]

Speaking on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Pullin said: "We just started selectively watering yesterday, just the areas that had dried up the most. So we’ve started on the back straight and are just continuing around with that selective watering.

“Mainly yesterday was on the New Course, a little bit on the Old but mainly on the New, and we’ll continue to monitor conditions and irrigate accordingly.

“We’re largely good to soft, there are one or two areas now that would be on the quicker side of that, so nearer good ground, and there the areas in the next few hours where we’ll have irrigated and hopefully got us back to that good to soft position.

“Good to soft is where we would like to start, that’s been the position here at the Festival now for a number of years, to start a four-day festival on anything quicker comes with its challenges so we’d like to start on good to soft ground."

That doesn't mean it wouldn't be allow to dry out to good ground for day two with officials often reluctant to water a track after a day's racing.

“What we wouldn't want it to do is go any quicker than good ground so we’d need to be mindful of that but looking at the forecast I don’t see that being an issue. We’ve got a very warm weekend coming with temperatures around 16 and 17 degrees on Saturday and Sunday with lots of bright sunshine," Pullin said.

“But then it does turn a lot cooler next week and daytime temperatures through the week are seven, eight degrees in the main and we’re now looking at some overnight frosts as well."

In terms of possible rainfall, he added: “Monday the forecasts are indicating there are showers around but we’re looking at one, maybe two millimetres max, but nothing more than that then beyond Monday nothing. Dry, with cooler daytime temperatures."

[Carnage at Taunton]

Speaking on Friday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Pullin said: "We just started selectively watering yesterday, just the areas that had dried up the most. So we’ve started on the back straight and are just continuing around with that selective watering.

“Mainly yesterday was on the New Course, a little bit on the Old but mainly on the New, and we’ll continue to monitor conditions and irrigate accordingly.

“We’re largely good to soft, there are one or two areas now that would be on the quicker side of that, so nearer good ground, and there the areas in the next few hours where we’ll have irrigated and hopefully got us back to that good to soft position.

“Good to soft is where we would like to start, that’s been the position here at the Festival now for a number of years, to start a four-day festival on anything quicker comes with its challenges so we’d like to start on good to soft ground."

That doesn't mean it wouldn't be allow to dry out to good ground for day two with officials often reluctant to water a track after a day's racing.

“What we wouldn't want it to do is go any quicker than good ground so we’d need to be mindful of that but looking at the forecast I don’t see that being an issue. We’ve got a very warm weekend coming with temperatures around 16 and 17 degrees on Saturday and Sunday with lots of bright sunshine," Pullin said.

“But then it does turn a lot cooler next week and daytime temperatures through the week are seven, eight degrees in the main and we’re now looking at some overnight frosts as well."

In terms of possible rainfall, he added: “Monday the forecasts are indicating there are showers around but we’re looking at one, maybe two millimetres max, but nothing more than that then beyond Monday nothing. Dry, with cooler daytime temperatures."

Blimey, reading that sounds like We could have good ground at some point.
Hopefully they can at least keep it at good/soft.

[Kevloaf]

Blimey, reading that sounds like We could have good ground at some point.
Hopefully they can at least keep it at good/soft.

There is a bit of me that would love to see a genuine 'good' ground day

Feels like a throw back to when I first got in to racing



It's odd that the term 'good' ground now has people acting like it's not safe ground - maybe they need to change the names and have it as a scale, it's all a bit ancient anyway... part of the charm

What am I waffling on about here. Shup up Kevin

[Carnage at Taunton]

There is a bit of me that would love to see a genuine 'good' ground day

Feels like a throw back to when I first got in to racing



It's odd that the term 'good' ground now has people acting like it's not safe ground - maybe they need to change the names and have it as a scale, it's all a bit ancient anyway... part of the charm

What am I waffling on about here. Shup up Kevin

Hahaha, yeah used to happen more often that’s for sure.
Be interesting if we did get good ground how many non runnners there are.
Hopefully it’s all ok for most of them.

[HoldenTheReins]

yr.no use a different model to others I believe.

They currently have the forecast of rain as of 07/03/25 - 21:00

Monday - 8.9mm
Tuesday - 2mm
Wednesday - 2.3mm
Thursday - 5mm
Friday - 1.1mm

[Borvalite]

Right on cue, I can confirm the rain has started to fall at the racecourse

[Irish Rugby]

It appears to be only a modest amount of rain though. Still, it's good to hear it has come, and maybe tomorrow as well. Doesn't appear to be a downpour but do keep those updates. Many thanks.

[Odin]

Looks like key time for weather will be between 2pm and 11pm. Been monitoring the met office radar over the last few days and it's definitely converging on more rain happening than less. No idea whether the yr.no 9mm from a few days will be hit but they'd be lucky to have less than 4mm from the forecast I'm looking at