2008 Cheltenham Festival set to start on schedule 

The 5,500 staff at Cheltenham racecourse have been working around the clock to ensure that the 2008 Cheltenham Festival starts on schedule. Punters may find themselves short of caviar and champagne at a blustery Prestbury Park, where strong storm winds destroyed a temporary hospitality suite and necessitated the removal of the roof the temporary Guinness stand.

Despite damage to several fences, and the flight of some of the more flimsy temporary facilities, authorities at the weather bureau have stated that Cheltenham escaped the brunt of the storm. The limited damage to Cheltenham racecourse means that the first race of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival is likely to start at 2:00 pm as scheduled.

Although punters and bookmakers alike will be breathing a collective sigh of relief now that betting has resumed on the races for day one of the 2008 Cheltenham Festival, the fact that Cheltenham racecourse has absorbed an inch of rain is likely to have a major impact on the rest of the festival.

Many horses expected to encounter Cheltenham’s typically good going may find themselves struggling over an unexpectedly heavy turf. Amongst the horses expected to struggle over the heavy track today is Noel Meade’s Champion Hurdle favourite Harchibald.

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