6:15am, Tue 12 Mar 2013 Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival to begin despite cold snap

Last updated Tue 12 Mar 2013

Organisers of the Cheltenham Festival say they're prepared for races to start today, despite the cold weather.

The whole track had to be covered to stop the ground from freezing, as a cold weather front sent recent temperatures tumbling below zero.

During last year's festival, five horses died.

The four day festival will attract an estimated 200,000 people.

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival, the most prestigious National Hunt horse racing event of the year, starts today, despite the severe weather.