The ground for tomorrow’s opening day of the Cheltenham Festival was described as soft (heavy in places) by clerk of the course Simon Claisse on Sunday and it is fair to say that the four-day meeting will start on ground no better than soft with a further 10mls of rain forecast between now and post time.

We are looking at the softest ground Cheltenham Festival for 20 years with further rain forecast on Wednesday evening.

So with Stratford off, lets look at Taunton Ilewin Geez (2.40) is taken to go one better than when second at Doncaster last time for Charlie Mann although this good ground Bumper winner would not want the ground to deteriorate too much.

Wotzizname (3.40) shapes like a thorough stayer and can land the feature staying handicap chase over three-and-a-half-miles for Harry Fry and Noel Fehily. The yard have a number of good chances at the Festival later in the week but I do know the yard feel they have Unowhatimeanharry in the form of his life ahead of another crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday.

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