With snow predicted for March, could the Cheltenham Festival be affected?

It has been forty years since a day of the Cheltenham Festival was snowed off and with a prolonged cold snap threatening this year’s action; Ladbrokes make it 16/1 that any day is abandoned due to weather.

In 1937, Cheltenham week abandoned due to snow before in 1978 the Gold Cup is abandoned because of snow and was run in April instead. You then had to go to 2008 for next postponement when day two of the Festival cancelled due to high winds with all Wednesday races moving to the Thursday and Friday.

The firm has also opened betting on the official going for the first race of the festival, making good to soft the 1/5 favourite. Soft is 9/2, Good is 8/1, while Heavy is 33/1.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes: “2008 was the last time a day of the Cheltenham Festival was abandoned due to weather. However that was more of a health and safety issue due as a result of high winds.

“The last time a day of the Festival was called off due to the weather making the course unraceable was in 1978 when Gold Cup Day was snowed off.

“Forty years on another weather threat looms, but at 16/1 we are not panicking yet.”