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2 weeks today lads

No going concerns at Cheltenham

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse expressed satisfaction with the shape of all three courses ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

Although there is rain forecast over the next two weeks, the situation is set fair for the four-day fixture, which begins on March 10.

Claisse said: "I'm pretty happy with things.

"We have a mixture of good to soft ground. The Old Course is predominantly a bit softer, while the New and Cross-Country Course are a bit quicker.

"At the moment, the long-range forecast says it will be relatively unsettled for the next 10 days and that we will receive about an inch of rain.

"We have probably had half the rainfall we did last year, but I'm pleased the way it looks, and although the grass growth is a little bit behind, things are picking up."