Cheltenham Racecourse has been forced to cancel day one of the November meeting due to heavy rain leaving the course flooded in places.
In an announcement course officials, who had originally scheduled an inspection for three o'clock, said:
"After 37mm rainfall in the past 18 hours, very sadly we have had to abandon racing at Cheltenham on Friday 15 November, as the course is flooded in areas as well as waterlogged in places."
Ahead of racing on Saturday at @CheltenhamRaces, there will be a further inspection on Friday afternoon at 3pm #TheNovemberMeeting pic.twitter.com/2uaebjBqpx
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 14, 2019
"Ahead of racing on Saturday, there will be a further inspection on Friday afternoon at 3pm."
Outlook
The weather outlook for the next few days will see showers on Friday with dry days currently forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
The feature races over the course of the weekend are the BetVictor Gold Cup on Saturday. Second season novice chaser Slate House has topped the betting for the BetVictor Gold Cup since bolting up by 11 lengths in a novices' chase over the course and distance at Cheltenham's opening fixture, The Showcase, on 26 October.
The Greatwood Handicap Hurdle is the main race on Sunday. It was famously won by Sizing Europe who then disappointed in the Champion Hurdle at the festival in March. Rooster Booster, in 2003, was the last horse to successfully complete the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle Champion Hurdle double.
