Cheltenham call off cross-country chase at the November Meeting

Cheltenham have been forced to abandon the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the November Meeting due to unraceable ground.

Following this summer’s drought, the unique track on the inside of the two main courses has been unable to be watered with efforts focused on making sure the Old course is in suitable shape for the Showcase meeting on October 23 and 24.

With the forecast suggesting insufficient rainfall to make the cross-country course safe for racing, an early decision has been taken, with the race moved to Festival Trials Day on January 30.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “It is always disappointing to lose any race or fixture, and the team have worked incredibly hard in very challenging conditions to get the Old course ready for racing next week.

“Given the exceptionally dry summer, which has continued into the early autumn, our priority has had to be ensuring the Old course is ready. The forecast suggests that there is limited rainfall expected in the coming weeks and warm temperatures are set to continue, meaning our attention will need to remain on the Old course in the lead-up to the November Meeting.

“We wanted to take the decision to cancel the cross-country chase as early as possible to allow participants time to adjust their plans.”

He added: “Unfortunately, we have already lost a number of fixtures across the country due to the challenging conditions. In discussions with the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) and the NTF (National Trainers Federation), we recognise that this may continue over the next couple of weeks.

“Therefore, there may be races that need rescheduling that could be accommodated at the November Meeting so we will confirm the replacement race by Friday, October 30.”