MARCH 12: RACING TIPS AND CHAT

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TODAY'S the day … the Cheltenham Festival is upon us and it promises to be a fantastic afternoon of racing.

There are of course other meetings on Tuesday but I'm not sure if Sedgefield will get the go-ahead so didn't do a write up on my two picks. With snow lying on the track there is an 8am inspection.

Sedgefield 1.45
PHASE SHIFT

Sedgefield 2.20
NODFORM RICHARD

Southwell Patent/Trixie

Southwell 2.30
ALPHA TAURI

Stand-out horse in this race, officially rated 74, puts it 12 points ahead of anything else in this race.

Southwell 5.05
DEWALA

Horse on form, going for a four-timer today, meets all opposition in this race on better terms and should continue with her great form.

Southwell 5.40
AMTIRED

Won last week over C&D and a repeat of that performance today will be enough to take the win.

Cheltenham

1.30 DODGING BULLETS e/w
2.05 SIMONSIG
2.40 FRUITY O'ROONEY e/w
3.20 HURRICANE FLY
4.00 BOSTONS ANGEL
4.40 QUEVEGA
5.15 SHANGANI e/w

Treble
SIMONSIG, HURRICANE FLY, QUEVEGA

Good luck, it's going to be a dazzling day of racing.

—UPDATE 10.00am—

Sedgefield is off

Sedgefield has been abandoned due to the accumulation of snow overnight with frost still in the ground. “The slow rise in temperature for today has left us with no prospects of a sufficient thaw,” said clerk of the course Phil Tuck

Cheltenham to inspect at 10.30am due to frost

RACING at Cheltenham on day one of the festival was put in jeopardy after a wind chill of -12C overnight caused clerk of the course Simon Claisse to call a 10.30am inspection due to parts of the course being frozen. “90 per cent of the course is fine, but we can't clear the track for racing until it is 100 per cent,” said Claisse. “We are looking at everything we can do but it's hard to know the situation until we get the covers off.”

The covers are due to start being lifted at 10am. Explaining the decision, Claisse added: “At 10am it’s due to be 1C, and it is forecast to be 3C by midday.” With parts of the cross-country course exposed it is the most vulnerable, but speaking on the Morning Line, Claisse continued: “We don’t run on cross-country course until 4pm, so while it may take a bit longer to be ready I remain optimistic. “What we experienced last night was beyond anything we’ve ever experienced here.” The going on all three courses is described as soft.

Milesey