5 day festival

I was down to 2 days stamina even when it was a 3 day event so I don't really care about a 5th day. I also have a default position of disagreeing with everything that Mottershead spouts.

As it happens, I think that the Cross Country is a decent race and far more worth it's place than the juvenile handicap hurdle. I'd go so far as to have the new race a cross country handicap leaving the main event to the elite.

I think that we have to accept that Cheltenham's income and payment plan for the new stand took a big hit last year. I'd have thought that a compromise would be to grant them an extra non-Festival fixture on the Saturday for, say, the next 3 years. If it's well supported then there's an argument for a 5 day Festival. Much like the old Ascot Heath meeting became a part of Royal Ascot.
 
They could have a 2 day meeting at the end of January as a 'trials meeting' , bit difficult to squeeze any other dates in, if they are trying to generate extra revenue. A lot of people, especially in current climate, would be put off having to pay another day's ticket/accommodation/travelling costs etc if it turned into a 5 day event. Personally think the Friday is all about the GC, and the other races feel like padding for that day. Just a personal opinion.
 
G-G said:
They could have a 2 day meeting at the end of January as a 'trials meeting' , bit difficult to squeeze any other dates in, if they are trying to generate extra revenue. A lot of people, especially in current climate, would be put off having to pay another day's ticket/accommodation/travelling costs etc if it turned into a 5 day event. Personally think the Friday is all about the GC, and the other races feel like padding for that day. Just a personal opinion.
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JCR moved New Year’s Eve to Warwick a heap crap card compared to its predecessor.
 
walsworth said:
Am I the only person to have no idea what this means?
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Late 80s/early 90s the Cheltenham New Years fixture was two days. Jockey Club Racing made it one day, moving the first day (NYE) to Warwick. Cheltenham’s card attracted decent runners. Warwick’s doesn’t.
 
wilsonl said:
Late 80s/early 90s the Cheltenham New Years fixture was two days. Jockey Club Racing made it one day, moving the first day (NYE) to Warwick. Cheltenham’s card attracted decent runners. Warwick’s doesn’t.
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It lasted longer than that I think . I remember Lord Noelie ridden by AP winning there on New Year’s Eve in 2003 when he was with Bridget Nicholls.
 
The prize money and quality of the card at Warwick is dreadful compared to the old Cheltenham card . Also going to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day tends now to be hellish .
 
Ardross said:
The prize money and quality of the card at Warwick is dreadful compared to the old Cheltenham card . Also going to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day tends now to be hellish .
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Ain't it just, NYD Cheltenham is the worst meeting of the year............and I live there!
 
Surely with rearranging of the top 15 races into 3 per day and reducing to 6 races per day
they can put together 5 interesting cards and bring in a bit more revenue..

If that what it takes to ensure the Festival continues I'm all for it.
 
Tanlic said:
Surely with rearranging of the top 15 races into 3 per day and reducing to 6 races per day
they can put together 5 interesting cards and bring in a bit more revenue..

If that what it takes to ensure the Festival continues I'm all for it.
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It's not a 5-Days or Nothing scenario, Tanlic.

It's 4 Days of almost entirely quality (definitely some filler), versus 5 Days where the quality is diluted even further.

You need two more races to fill 6 races over 5 days. We already have (imho) questionable events like the Juvenile handicap and the Mares Novice; both of which draw runners from the Triumph and Supreme respectively. At a push, you could argue the Mares Hurdle has it's place, but given the exploits of Annie Power, Epetante and Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle, it's frankly a joke that the event has G1 status.

So the question is; what two new races do you add - without it becoming a pantomime Gloucestershire version of the Galway Festival?
 
If you want an interesting Cross-Country race, go to Pau.

We're talking about the Festival - the alleged 'Olympics' of Jump Racing. We shouldn't be extending it by a day, just to fill it with garbage Paralympic races no fu*cker cares about.
 
County hurdle consolation race.
Kim Muir consolation race
Pertemps consolation race
Plate consolation race
M.pipe division 2
 
I'd have a County hurdle open the meeting and have another 2m hurdle close it and offer massive bonuses to any horse who wins or places in both - also open to Supreme horses.

reinstate the 2m4 novice hcap chase
 
Outsider said:
County hurdle consolation race.
Kim Muir consolation race
Pertemps consolation race
Plate consolation race
M.pipe division 2
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Consolation races have no place at the Festival, imo. They're already in the Pattern at Aintree anyway. :cool:
 
Grasshopper said:
If you want an interesting Cross-Country race, go to Pau.

We're talking about the Festival - the alleged 'Olympics' of Jump Racing. We shouldn't be extending it by a day, just to fill it with garbage Paralympic races no fu*cker cares about.
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:lol:

Funny, but also absolutely spot on.
 
Euronymous said:
I'd have a County hurdle open the meeting and have another 2m hurdle close it and offer massive bonuses to any horse who wins or places in both - also open to Supreme horses.

reinstate the 2m4 novice hcap chase
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Absolutely garbage the novice handicap was dropped. When they extend it to 5 days this will be the flag bearer as the reasoning for extending to 5.

5 days, 6 races, all the same races with the novice handicap and either a veterans chase or 2m4f grade 1 hurdle race added.

Absolute rubbish.

Should be focusing more on the dismal prize money on offer rather than making more races and diluting competition further.
 
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Grasshopper said:
Consolation races have no place at the Festival, imo. They're already in the Pattern at Aintree anyway. :cool:
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I took note that Nicky said abour Buveur D'Air it was either Kelso or the Champion Hurdle and he wouldn't even consider going for the latter so kelso it had to be.

If Buveur D'Air had run in last years Coral Cup he would have to have given the winner 1stone 10lbs or thereabouts.

So why not introduce a couple of limited handicaps a chase and a hurdle eg where horse like him are more likely to run in.

I am pretty sure punters would love to see horses like Buvi Native River Bristol De Mai etc running in races in their latter years they had a chance of winning.

There simply isn't any races for horses like them at the Festival.
 
For the very simple reason thay all you would do is dilute the fields for the existing handicaps.

The horses you mention have had their careers, and we shouldn’t be tampering with the Festival cards just to try and accommodate them.
 
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Really pleased to see Carl Llewelyn talking sense about this in the RP today. Of course Hendo and Kim Bailey want it because they can persuade their owners that having a Cheltenham runner is the be all and end all. It’s not. It’s potentially ruining the season over here.
 
Talking to a bookie today at Sandown and he said 'all' they actually have to do is add 2 races and have 6 races a day instead of 7. Can see that happening. Just read the CL article, and he's right of course. The article also mentions the only 2 more races to add. Personally I can't see how the Cross Country could be dropped but keep the amateur races. I think they definitely don't belong at the meeting.
 
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I think you have to keep amateur races. They are long standing races and personally as so many of them are pointing jockeys that I know feel they should be there.
 
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