All eyes will be on the Met Office ahead of next week and the Cheltenham Festival day one going update and weather forecast suggests we could have another dry-ish week with good-to-soft ground throughout.
Cheltenham Festival Day One Going In Last 15 Years – Good-To-Soft (good in places) Confirmed
We’re one week out and the Cheltenham Festival day one going is often a popular talking point in the build-up to the action and it looks like we’re in for a dry period.
You can see the day one going in the last 15 years below, and what the ground is looking like for the first day of the festival.
It’s also worth noting that watering will be commencing ahead of day one.
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Cheltenham Festival day one ground in last 15 years
- 2025 – Good-to-Soft
- 2024 – Soft (heavy in places)
- 2023 – Soft
- 2022 – Good-to-Soft
- 2021 – Soft (good-to-soft in places)
- 2020 – Soft (heavy in places)
- 2019 – Soft
- 2018 – Heavy (soft in places)
- 2017 – Good-to-Soft
- 2016 – Good-to-Soft
- 2015 – Good-to-Soft
- 2014 – Good-to-Soft
- 2013 – Soft (good-to-soft in places)
- 2012 – Good (good-to-soft in places)
- 2011 – Good (good-to-soft in places)
There has been some sort of good-to-soft ground in the Cheltenham Festival day one going description 10 times in the last 15 (66%) years and it could be the case once again in 2026.
2026 Cheltenham Festival Ground Is Good-To-Soft (good in places) After Clear Skies
There is minimal rain expected this week in Cheltenham, and according to the latest forecast the only chance we may have of it is on Thursday.
Jon Pullin, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course reported that the ground has started to dry out last Monday.
Speaking to the Racing Post, Pullin said: “It’s definitely better (ground) on the New course, where the ground has started to dry out a little bit. There’s a lot of moisture underneath, but the top has begun to dry now on the courses. We have a dry week forecast up until Thursday, when there could be a couple of showers, although nothing of significance – maybe a millimetre or two. That sort of rainfall wouldn’t make a difference to the ground. We’re then dry again on Saturday and Sunday.”
Pullin gave another update on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival, confirming the going change.
“We dried up a little bit more than anticipated yesterday, so we’re good-to-soft, good in places and we’re doing a little bit of selective watering today to maintain the good-to-soft and improve the good.”
The ground is just one talking point but there are also other things to take into consideration like Cheltenham Festival day one trends and stats which can help punters pick their selections.
What Was The Cheltenham Festival Day One Going In 2025?
Last year’s day one weather was very dry and the ground was described as good-to-soft all the way through from the Supreme in the first race all the way to the last.
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