Odds on heavy going at the Cheltenham Festival have been slashed after clerk of the course Simon Claisse admitted it might be in their thinking ahead of racing’s Olympics.

Over 200 tonnes of snow has fallen on Prestbury Park as the UK has been hit with the worst winter weather in years, and whilst their is no worries of the Festival itself, there are those who are wondering about what ground could be on offer.

“The thaw is just beginning to start and the temperatures are just a couple of degrees above freezing,” said Claisse, who delivered an update on the racecourse.

“It could possibly get a bit milder this weekend and then into next week. I think the ground will be soft when the snow melts, but it’s hard to tell at the moment while it’s still thawing.

“We think the snow will have amounted to about 12mm and the forecast is showing it could be 15mm of rain by next Sunday.”

Asked if the word ‘heavy’ could come into play when talking about official going, he added: “It’s possible, yes.”

And with Claisse’s comments, Bookmakers were quick to react and have cut Heavy going on the first day of the Festival to 9/1 from 25/1.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “Due to a flurry of bets, combined with the latest reports from Cheltenham, we have had to slash the odds on heavy going on day one of the festival.”