Some like it Soft....

[The King Pimm]

It’s been raining a fair bit in South Wales and there is more rain forecast for for here and Cheltenham, more importantly there is quite a lot of rain forecast on Monday night. I think the course conditions will be genuinely soft. With that in mind I think I may need a few emergency selections to counter act the changing conditions. Horses I know who prefer/need soft include from what I’ve read in the build up to the Festival include:
Un De Sceaux
Pic D’Orhy
Defi Du Sol
Blow by Blow
Native River
Ask For Glory

Any others??

 

[FaugheenTheMachine]

Is there not a lot of wind forecast as well? Cheltenham dries out very quickly

 

[Istabraq]

I’d expect the course to dry up from Tuesday so I wouldn’t be a huge fan of getting stuck into deep ground horses for Wed/Thur, though the forecast I saw was for rain Thursday night so Friday may throw up soft...

 

[The King Pimm]

Yes it is forecast to be windy on Monday day with a few hours of strong winds but rain is forecast on Monday night with periods of rain throughout the week

 

[Istabraq]

I’d expect the course to dry up from Tuesday so I wouldn’t be a huge fan of getting stuck into deep ground horses for Wed/Thur, though the forecast I saw was for rain Thursday night so Friday may throw up soft...

Scrub that, updated forecast looks to have more duke in it...

 

[charlie]

Surely this goes in the 'Cheltenham 2019 Festival Going & Weather' thread

One thing to be mindful of is Cheltenham drys quickly. That being said, I am expecting soft ground. The odds tell you that and there has been loads of rain and is more forecast between now and the festival, and during the festival.

In addition to your list, if it comes up soft one of the best bets is Derrinross in the Albert Bartlett. Mud loving 8 year old, good experience over hurdles and wins over 3m on soft/heavy for fun.

 

[The King Pimm]

Sorry Charlie, I was thinking about posting in the Weather thread but was hoping to discuss the Horses suited by soft ground and possible heavy but thought it may detract from the weather reporting and ground conditions.

 

[Scooby91]

"We're expecting 19.8mm between now and the Supreme Novices (far less than we expected this time yday), a further 2.8mm is then expected before the Ballymore. Ground is likely to be Good To Soft"

 

[The King Pimm]

I think they’ll be more rain than that forecasted prediction and the ground will definitely be soft but hey ho let’s hope we don’t

 

[TCH29]

I think they’ll be more rain than that forecasted prediction and the ground will definitely be soft but hey ho let’s hope we don’t

I agree. After last year’s debacle, I can’t trust Claisse’s assessment of the ground. Having walked across the the Cross Country course on the Wed, there is no way it was just “soft”! I walked across Sandown in Dec when they called it Heavy and it was a lot firmer than Cheltenham last year. It was undoubtedly heavy all week, but Claisse was trying to save face after some of the tosh he came out with in the weeks leading up.

Monday night’s forecast looks wet. He’ll call it GS or S (GS in places), but it’ll be Soft. Might dry out for Wed and Thurs but mire rain that night and Fri will certainly be Soft. Hopefully this means we’ll see Pic D’Orhy romp home in the Triumph!

 

[Istabraq]

I agree. After last year’s debacle, I can’t trust Claisse’s assessment of the ground. Having walked across the the Cross Country course on the Wed, there is no way it was just “soft”!!

I’m with you on that.
I sank a few inches through the turf with every step and watching the ladies in heels navigate the walk wasn’t without humour...