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Weather Watch 2026

I'm from near Portsmouth way but for half term we are in an airBnb about 20 mins away close to Fergals stables. It's mad the whole place is flooded. All the tourist attractions are limited because of flooded car parks. Driving through all the towns everything is nuts if you ask me.
Most rivers burst banks into fields and if you look down in the valleys it's all bog!
It sounds like exaggeration... But I have honestly never seen so much rain. I know it's probably most of the UK right now. But 2 weeks or so to go...its surely going to be really obvious that trainers are going to be tempted to the shorter race options now.
 
The course drains really well and the forecast is quite warm for a bit with a strong breeze which will really help dry it out. The few days before the Festival will be key rather than what has happened over the winter I reckon.
 
punterorplonker said:
I'm from near Portsmouth way but for half term we are in an airBnb about 20 mins away close to Fergals stables. It's mad the whole place is flooded. All the tourist attractions are limited because of flooded car parks. Driving through all the towns everything is nuts if you ask me.
Most rivers burst banks into fields and if you look down in the valleys it's all bog!
It sounds like exaggeration... But I have honestly never seen so much rain. I know it's probably most of the UK right now. But 2 weeks or so to go...its surely going to be really obvious that trainers are going to be tempted to the shorter race options now.
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It's funny you say that. I was looking at the MET Office forecast for Cheltenham Racecourse for the next 7 days that is suggesting an average temperature of circa. 13 degrees celsius and an average wind speed of circa 15mph over the next week, with lots of that sunshine and cloud icon, which made think, with a warm(ish), sunny, breezy week, we'll be good to soft by next Sunday!! :LOL:

Hoping for an update on the going and forecast by the Clerk with the handicap weights announcement on Tuesday!
 
On The Fringe said:
It's funny you say that. I was looking at the MET Office forecast for Cheltenham Racecourse for the next 7 days that is suggesting an average temperature of circa. 13 degrees celsius and an average wind speed of circa 15mph over the next week, with lots of that sunshine and cloud icon, which made think, with a warm(ish), sunny, breezy week, we'll be good to soft by next Sunday!! :LOL:

Hoping for an update on the going and forecast by the Clerk with the handicap weights announcement on Tuesday!
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Watering starts Wednesday week....
 
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Prestbury said:
Don't know if we need a new thread or just update the title on this one but I know everyone is desperate (!!) for the latest update on the weather given that we have less than 3 weeks to go.

Like most places it has been very wet since the start of the year with at least some rain on the majority of days - at the weekend I would have thought that the course was likely no better than soft ground.

I have a rain gauge in the garden (about 250m from the course) so will report daily rainfall up till the Festival. We had a very wet night last night so rainfall this week is as follows:

Monday 16th - <1mm
Tuesday 17th - 0mm
Wednesday 18th - 34mm
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Assuming that is meters and not miles 🤣
 
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Absolutely roasting ATM. Sun drenched.
 
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It really is! Must be 16 degrees plus in sun.
 
Good to soft now into 10/11 fav
Soft 11/10
Heavy 7-1
 
Dry day yesterday with plenty of wind (as usual). Actually have blue sky and sun this morning - forgotten what it looks like...

Monday 16th - <1mm
Tuesday 17th - 0mm
Wednesday 18th - 34mm
Thursday 19th - 0mm
Friday 20th - 4mm
Saturday 21st - 1mm
Sunday 22nd - 0mm
 
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….i reckon they’ll have to water :unsure:
 
Could see highs of 18 degrees in the sun this Wednesday
 
The BHA are giving a going stick reading of 5.5 from 11.00 this morning. Somewhere between soft and heavy but no idea on what part of which course it was taken.

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www.britishhorseracing.com
 
Conversely, the Bahrain Turf Club is 9.5 -- brick road :ROFLMAO:
 
BigL said:
Good to soft now into 10/11 fav
Soft 11/10
Heavy 7-1
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Worth noting for anyone punting these markets that there's not a chance they call the ground soft for the first race of the fez, unless it's borderline heavy. Was it 2024 they changed it after the first race when it was obviously soft to everyone watching?
 
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