Going report for Cheltenham Festival on Gold Cup day
Friday 13 March 2015 11:53, UK
Overnight rain has seen the going at Cheltenham ease to good-to-soft on Gold Cup day and conditions could soften further.
Rain had been forecast for both Wednesday and Thursday but failed to materialise in any significant amount.
That changed on Thursday night as Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse told Sky Sports News HQ.
"We've had five millimetres and expect more, though it is forecast to clear by early afternoon," Claisse revealed.
"We are now good to soft and if we have another three to five millimetres we'd be on soft ground."
Oliver Sherwood, trainer of leading Betfred Gold Cup hope Many Clouds, had been keeping his fingers crossed that conditions would ease for the Hennessy Gold Cup winner and Sky Bet have cut Ben Linfoot's Value Bet selection to 7/1.
The Leeds firm are paying four places on each-way bets on the Gold Cup and have boosted the price of long-term ante-post favourite Silviniaco Conti.
