RacingBetter News
	Friday 8th March 2024

What is the Going Expected to Be at Cheltenham Races 2024?

The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching, but before people start getting ahead of themselves and placing bets on who they think might win any of the 28 races this year, one of the most important things people will be trying to find out is what the 'going' will be like on the day.

In other words, what will the weather be like, and what will the course conditions be like? Some horses perform much better than others in certain weather and track conditions, which is why it's important to know the going.

Let's dive in and take a closer look at what the going is expected to be this year at the Cheltenham Festival.

What is the going expected for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

It's still too early to tell exactly what the going will be for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. However, early reports suggest there won't be any rain overnight or on the morning of the Cheltenham Festival opening day, Tuesday 12 March.

Temperatures are expected to climb from lows of around 4C or 5C (around 39F to 41F) throughout the night and climb to highs of around 8C or 9C in the day (around 46F to 48F), with only a 10% chance of precipitation.

Under these conditions, the Cheltenham Festival going is expected to be 'good' or 'good to soft.'

Can the going impact the odds?

Yes. Many variables can impact the odds, including the weather and, therefore, the going. Some horses are known to prefer certain types of weather conditions and will perform better, whereas others don't perform as well in those same conditions.

In other words, when you look at the latest Cheltenham festival odds to place a bet on any of the races, one of the things to consider apart from just the odds is the going and how the horse you want to bet on usually performs in those conditions. Knowing this information can help you place more informed bets.

What are the different types of going in horse racing, and how do they find out this important information?

The description given to the condition of the ground at any racecourse, especially in Great Britain, is known as the 'going' and is usually measured by the resident clerk of a racecourse.

That person's main goal is to determine how much moisture the ground is holding, if any, by assessing the numerical reading on the 'GoingStick'. It's poked into the ground and will tell us fairly accurately how much moisture the ground is currently holding based on how far it goes in.

The going reports are key in horse racing, not only for people who are betting on an event but also for the jockeys and the trainers. It can often determine whether a horse can run or not.
The main types of going are the following:

• Heavy
• Soft
• Good to soft
• Good
• Good to firm
• Firm

Others include yielding (the same as the UK's good to soft going and is a term used exclusively in Irish racing), as well as standard, fast, all-weather going, and slow.

Predictions for the Cheltenham going are generally always available six days before the start of each day's races, but as the weather is sometimes unpredictable, the actual going on the day is often completely different to what the predictions were just six days prior.

Final thoughts

When placing bets on the Cheltenham Festival races, you might want to try and find out what the going is to help you place more informed bets. However, it won't always guarantee that your bets will be successful.
At the time of writing, day one of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival looks to be mild, with sunny intervals and a gentle breeze. Day two will be similar, but slightly higher temperatures of a degree or two. Day three will be similar, but on day four, there will be similar temperatures, plus a chance of light rain.