Cheltenham will deploy frost shields to save vulnerable areas of the racecourses when temperatures drop below freezing.
The mercury dropped to -2C in the early hours of Wednesday before the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, prompting the course director to take action to protect take-offs and landings around obstacles. Race Mail.
“I’m very happy with how things turned out, it was a nice dry day. Forecasts still suggest we’ll drop below 0°C tonight, possibly down to -2°C, so we’ll probably be busy with takeoffs and landings,” said Jon Pullin, course director.
“The forecast is for it to be dry for most of Wednesday, with the upcoming streak of rain just possibly catching the last race or two. In terms of volume, it will not be too much, maybe 2-4mm. Thursday and Friday look rainy,” he said Race Mail.
The Cheltenham Festival kicked off on Tuesday (March 14) and runs until Friday (March 17).
Horse racing competitions have been disrupted by tragic accidents to horses after falls in competition.
According to the long-established animal rights organization Animal Aid, at least one horse has been killed every year since 2000.
The organization’s data shows that in the last 23 years, a total of 73 horses have died after the race.
The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) has published 17 recommendations to improve the safety and welfare of horses and riders in National Hunt racing following its review of the 2018 festival.
Recommendations included increased vet checks on runners before the race, and a reduction in the safety limit for two-mile pursuits from 24 to 20.
