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5 day Cheltenham festival as early as 2024

T

Truncheon

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Jan 29, 2016
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Consultations taking place according to the RP

Behind a paywall so cant link it

Let the guessing game begin
 
News that the Jockey Club is already consulting with owners and trainers on extending the Cheltenham Festival to five days ensures battle lines will be drawn swiftly.

The consultation will of course widen, but launching it among those whose fun and livelihoods are interlinked with top-class racing seems sure to provide a bulwark against others who would fight tooth and claw against any extension.

Do we need five days? The answer depends on who you ask, naturally, and in decoding Ian Renton's comments the shape of the conversation is drawn.

Cheltenham consulting on five-day festival – and it could come as early as 2024

When Cheltenham's chief speaks of seeking a much more rational view on whether to press ahead, it feels like a nod to the immediate recoil heard from those dead set against any more than four days. Keep in mind, many were happy with three days.

It also brings to mind racing writer of the year Lee Mottershead recently asking whether the Jockey Club was moving too far toward self-interest, over the interests of racing.


Cheltenham Festival: the big event of the jump racing calendar
Cheltenham Festival: the big event of the jump racing calendar
Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Evidence of a commercial imperative for self-interest comes in unusual places; in the Quevega bar, Centaur and Guinness Village, in hugely inflated food and drinks prices. They tell the tale of a need to claw back missing millions from the impact of Covid.

If that wasn't enough of a clue to a longer-lasting festival, and the money generated therefrom, then the softer urgings of top trainers would also help.

What is self-evident is that a fifth day would allow for further top-class racing with generous prize-money, another slot in terrestrial television calendars, and more chances for everyone to savour the magic.

Yet the balancing act for the Jockey Club is fraught. A fifth day means dilution, a real danger of strangling the golden goose. It is easy to envisage (even) smaller fields, equine stars having more outlets to avoid one another, and for weak races to be added to avoid short-changing punters with shorter cards. Put those risks to owners and trainers and they probably won't be too bothered, but for the gargantuan wider audience totally invested in four days in Gloucestershire in March, the worries are real.

For all those who love jump racing, for those who are touched by its magic and its majesty, the Cheltenham Festival is just too important to be put at risk. The Jockey Club must tread carefully
 
Slim said:
News that the Jockey Club is already consulting with owners and trainers on extending the Cheltenham Festival to five days ensures battle lines will be drawn swiftly.

The consultation will of course widen, but launching it among those whose fun and livelihoods are interlinked with top-class racing seems sure to provide a bulwark against others who would fight tooth and claw against any extension.

Do we need five days? The answer depends on who you ask, naturally, and in decoding Ian Renton's comments the shape of the conversation is drawn.

Cheltenham consulting on five-day festival – and it could come as early as 2024

When Cheltenham's chief speaks of seeking a much more rational view on whether to press ahead, it feels like a nod to the immediate recoil heard from those dead set against any more than four days. Keep in mind, many were happy with three days.

It also brings to mind racing writer of the year Lee Mottershead recently asking whether the Jockey Club was moving too far toward self-interest, over the interests of racing.


Cheltenham Festival: the big event of the jump racing calendar
Cheltenham Festival: the big event of the jump racing calendar
Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Evidence of a commercial imperative for self-interest comes in unusual places; in the Quevega bar, Centaur and Guinness Village, in hugely inflated food and drinks prices. They tell the tale of a need to claw back missing millions from the impact of Covid.

If that wasn't enough of a clue to a longer-lasting festival, and the money generated therefrom, then the softer urgings of top trainers would also help.

What is self-evident is that a fifth day would allow for further top-class racing with generous prize-money, another slot in terrestrial television calendars, and more chances for everyone to savour the magic.

Yet the balancing act for the Jockey Club is fraught. A fifth day means dilution, a real danger of strangling the golden goose. It is easy to envisage (even) smaller fields, equine stars having more outlets to avoid one another, and for weak races to be added to avoid short-changing punters with shorter cards. Put those risks to owners and trainers and they probably won't be too bothered, but for the gargantuan wider audience totally invested in four days in Gloucestershire in March, the worries are real.

For all those who love jump racing, for those who are touched by its magic and its majesty, the Cheltenham Festival is just too important to be put at risk. The Jockey Club must tread carefully
Click to expand...

Cheers for the link up

Henderson will be lobbying for a G1 2m 4f hurdle no doubt ffs
 
Racing Post Headline for 2027: "The Dublin Racing Festival: the biggest event in the jump racing calendar."

Fu*ck them. I've already slung in the towel, and won't be renewing my membership next year........though I'm sure they will cover the cost by selling an extra 40-pints of Guinness on the Saturday.
 
Why the moans? The best meeting in the world as far as I am concerned.

One extra day has got to be better than watching some shyte running round Newcatle or Plumpton which is a real downer at the end of a great weeks racing.

For me there's too much happens on the Tuesday anyway. Fine if we have the Arkle and the Supreme on the same day and the Champion Hurdle moved to a Friday with the Gold Cup on the Saturday

Mind you they might need bigger stands if the Gold Cup was on a Saturday
 
Interesting idea I heard on a Podcast was if there is to be a fifth day backload the last three with the best races and have a lot of the **** on the first day. I'd like two 2 mile handicap hurdles to bookend the Festival with massive bonuses available to horses who hit the frame (6 places as well) in both.

This doesn't look terrible imo:


Day 1 - Gloucester Hcap Hurdle...Ultima...Boodles...Mares Hurdle...Nov Hcap Chase...NHC

Day 2 - Supreme...Arkle...Coral Cup...Grand Annual...X Country....Bumper

Day 3 - Ballymore...RSA...Queen Mother...Champion Hurdle...Pertemps...Kim Muir

Day 4 - Turners...Mares Nov Hurdle...Ryanair...Stayers...Plate...MPipe

Day 5 - Triumph...Bartlett...Gold Cup...Fox...Mares Chase...County
 
Euronymous said:
Interesting idea I heard on a Podcast was if there is to be a fifth day backload the last three with the best races and have a lot of the **** on the first day. I'd like two 2 mile handicap hurdles to bookend the Festival with massive bonuses available to horses who hit the frame (6 places as well) in both.

This doesn't look terrible imo:


Day 1 - Gloucester Hcap Hurdle...Ultima...Boodles...Mares Hurdle...Nov Hcap Chase...NHC

Day 2 - Supreme...Arkle...Coral Cup...Grand Annual...X Country....Bumper

Day 3 - Ballymore...RSA...Queen Mother...Champion Hurdle...Pertemps...Kim Muir

Day 4 - Turners...Mares Nov Hurdle...Ryanair...Stayers...Plate...MPipe

Day 5 - Triumph...Bartlett...Gold Cup...Fox...Mares Chase...County
Click to expand...

Do it the other way around. Have the **** on the Saturday.
 
Old course days 1-3 and new for days 4 and 5. Having the Saturday made up of shoulder races and maybe a boy band concerts afterwards works just as well.
 
I remember in 1995, when Paddys Day fell on the Friday they added a fourth day with okay racing but none of the core 3 day’s races.

I don’t see why that doesn’t work for most people but having the final day on the Saturday. They’ll still get large crowds to generate the revenue but won’t detract from the first 4 days in terms of dilution of quality. A lot of people who’d go on the Saturday wouldn’t know the difference between the County and a 0-100 2m hurdle anyway.

It’s a compromise that would satisfy the greed of racecourse owners but would all depend on just how greedy they are and whether they’re intent on moving the Gold Cup to the Saturday, which would be a huge mistake. The Friday is the worst day as it is so take the Gold Cup out of it and it’d be dire.
 
Why not just add a card on the Monday too, and call it the 'Galway-on-the-Wold Festival'??

They can (and will) do whatever the fu*ck they want, but let's not kid ourselves on; when we're using statements like "run the sh*it on xxday", it's self-evident that it moves the Festival away from being an elite meeting.

The motivation of the Cheltenham Exec is clear. It isn't to preserve the meeting as the 'Olympics of Jumps racing' - it's to get an extra day selling over-priced food and drink to people with limited interest in the sport beyond a jolly-boys day out, and I for one hope it backfires spectacularly right up their rear-fu*cking-ends. I won't be going back if this comes to pass, and neither will I try to produce creative ideas to help them further dismantle what was once the perfect three-days racing.

Fu*ck that and fu*ck them.
 
Last edited:
Desert Orchid said:
I think meetings held over a few /several days should crescendo into a wow finish, with just the last race or two the post-coital ciggie...
Click to expand...

Is that why the last 3 races are currently:

The farmers Gold Cup
The only mares in training chase
Oh look the irish are cheating bastards with Grade 1 horses handicap hurdle.
 
As it stands, Cheltenham cannot safely or satisfactorily cope with 70000 customers, especially in poor weather. I wouldn't be inclined to pay £100 again for the Members experience of this year.

If going to 5 days means that they can afford to cap attendance at 60000, it has my vote.
 
archie said:
As it stands, Cheltenham cannot safely or satisfactorily cope with 70000 customers, especially in poor weather. I wouldn't be inclined to pay £100 again for the Members experience of this year.

If going to 5 days means that they can afford to cap attendance at 60000, it has my vote.
Click to expand...

I cannot imagine for one second they would go down that route, archie - it would totally defeat their primary objective of generating more revenue.
 
In a couple of years time, when NH racing is on its ars because no one likes to see horses fall and the online gambling checks are turning punters away from the sport, a 5-day festival may the sport’s main lifeline.
 
Len Madeiros said:
In a couple of years time, when NH racing is on its ars because no one likes to see horses fall and the online gambling checks are turning punters away from the sport, a 5-day festival may the sport’s main lifeline.
Click to expand...

They could always have a 5 day drinking festival.
 
All I see is a bit of masterly (personerly?) sleight of hand with an extra day’s revenue (luvvly, jubbly) at the expense of only two extra races, with six races on each daily card which, in effect, steals around 15% of the current daily entertainment. I have no doubt that they will be dropping prices to compensate the hard done by punters. Some hope.
 
I think there should be a racing public vote on it...with transparent independent adjudicated results.
 
tiggers1972 said:
I'd probably discontinue my Membership if it goes to five days.
Click to expand...

One of my friends has said this, and is so inclined anyway after this year, she said just too many people and too much money to not be able to go round the front and see in comfort. She's been a member as long as they've had it and she's been an adult.
 
Grasshopper said:
Why not just add a card on the Monday too, and call it the 'Galway-on-the-Wold Festival'??

They can (and will) do whatever the fu*ck they want, but let's not kid ourselves on; when we're using statements like "run the sh*it on xxday", it's self-evident that it moves the Festival away from being an elite meeting.

The motivation of the Cheltenham Exec is clear. It isn't to preserve the meeting as the 'Olympics of Jumps racing' - it's to get an extra day selling over-priced food and drink to people with limited interest in the sport beyond a jolly-boys day out, and I for one hope it backfires spectacularly right up their rear-fu*cking-ends. I won't be going back if this comes to pass, and neither will I try to produce creative ideas to help them further dismantle what was once the perfect three-days racing.

Fu*ck that and fu*ck them.
Click to expand...

This is exactly how I see it too.
 
barjon said:
All I see is a bit of masterly (personerly?) sleight of hand with an extra day’s revenue (luvvly, jubbly) at the expense of only two extra races, with six races on each daily card which, in effect, steals around 15% of the current daily entertainment. I have no doubt that they will be dropping prices to compensate the hard done by punters. Some hope.
Click to expand...

You inspired an Icy tweet

https://twitter.com/icyestretro/status/1516844942651531272?t=gWpeGpUmCKzreT2WCEmqig&s=19
 
Grasshopper said:
Why not just add a card on the Monday too, and call it the 'Galway-on-the-Wold Festival'??

They can (and will) do whatever the fu*ck they want, but let's not kid ourselves on; when we're using statements like "run the sh*it on xxday", it's self-evident that it moves the Festival away from being an elite meeting.

The motivation of the Cheltenham Exec is clear. It isn't to preserve the meeting as the 'Olympics of Jumps racing' - it's to get an extra day selling over-priced food and drink to people with limited interest in the sport beyond a jolly-boys day out, and I for one hope it backfires spectacularly right up their rear-fu*cking-ends. I won't be going back if this comes to pass, and neither will I try to produce creative ideas to help them further dismantle what was once the perfect three-days racing.

Fu*ck that and fu*ck them.
Click to expand...

My feelings exactly. The nature of the meeting has radically changed for the worse. I'm fortunate enough to have use of Debenture seats in the main Grandstand for the last two days of the Festival every year. The owners of the seats don't like how crowded the course has become and feel it is now too impersonal. They are guys that put up substantial sums years ago towards funding improvements to the grandstand on the basis that they and their racing friends would be meeting regularly at Cheltenham essentially for the rest of their lives. They probably won't go at all next year.
On Gold Cup day there were a significant number of empty seats in the main stand even though there were quite a few people that did not have seat tickets in the seats. (Twice we had to move on people sat in our seats and claiming to be the badge holders).
Not sure I'm going next year!
 

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