The time is nearly upon us and the Cheltenham Festival is just 48 hours away. Showers in the area have caused the ground to go soft and more rain is expected between now and Tuesday. This means soft ground is all but guaranteed and that will suit some horses better than others. With that in mind, we’ve picked out three horses that are likely to thrive in the underfoot conditions. Why not check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
It’s certainly interesting that Gaelic Warrior has been dropped right back down to two miles for the Arkle. Willie Mullins’ six-year-old was a Grade 1 winner over three miles as a novice hurdler but his keen style of running may well be suited to this race. Soft going could alleviate the fear of him getting outpaced by speedier types over this trip. He has an excellent record on soft and heavy ground and whilst there’s a question mark around him going left-handed, he’s got plenty of ability.
Famous Bridge has a fine record on soft ground and his only disappointing effort so far this season came on good. The softer it is, the more of a stamina test this race becomes which will suit Nicky Richards’ eight-year-old down to the ground. Progressive over fences this season, the best is yet to come and a huge run shouldn’t be ruled out.
The well handicapped Milan Tino has form over 2m2f in his native France and would perhaps be vulnerable to speedy Flat bred types if the ground was quicker. Soft ground should ensure a stiff enough test of stamina to suit this horse and he has no excuse not to run a big race. His form in graded races is solid enough to suggest winning this off 126 is a distinct possibility.
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