Cheltenham 2009

I agree it is much more commercial but could say the same about almost any race meeting these days. They all seem to be growing longer, larger ....... it won't stop me attending because for me it is all about the horses, and it is still great racing. When that fails then I will stay home and take up pigeon keeping or something.

I hope the Festival does not become 5 days though, can hardly limp through 4 as it is. It must make a big difference to the town as when it was 3 days a lot of us hung around on the Friday, ate in the cafes, drank at the pubs and either celebrated our wins in the shops, or comforted ourselves with purchases we could not afford because we lost so much money. I prefer the 3 days, it was more relaxed.

You can actually get too much fo a good thing. It's like going to Rome and having cultural overload. You can't just go and see the Sistine Chapel, you have to make your way through an hour of other priceless antiquities before you arrive in the chapel. By then you are on burn out mode and just want some fresh air. By Friday now I can't concentrate ion the races anymore, just want more to drink.
 
If it does end up as a 5-day festival, how many of you would still consider doing the whole thing?
 
In its 4 day guise , I find it hard to get excited for day 3 with its stayer hurdle and ryanair chase. The thoughts of adding day 5, suggest to me the prostitution of Cheltenham
 
The time the 4 day was being thought about we had the likes of Baracouda, Limestone Lad, Iris's Gift, Baccanhal battling it out for the Stayers prize. Very rare to have that strength in depth usually.
 
Cantoris said:
I must say the 9/10 race card worked well last year as a novelty.
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I agree.

I don't really understand the fuss about the Grade 1 "Holy Trinity" being split up. All the races are still going to be run, so what difference does it make?

I don't mind the extra race or having a race for CJs, but the prospect of a Coral Cup consolation doesn't exactly get the juices flowing does it? Most of the runners will be rated 110-120 and it will be won by the trainer that has cheated the most. I imagine that AJ Martin has something in mind for it already.

If further races are needed (and I don't think they are), I wouldn't mind seeing a 4m Hcap Chase - although it would weaken The Midlands National (run on the Saturday afterwards). Failing that, a cross country chase for greys only or a hunter chase for horses owned by Kildare farmers (just like the one they have at Punchestown) would be fascinating.
 
Yeah, changing the order of day 1 isnt anything huge in real terms, but its yet another change for commercial purposes. Spose it shouldnt bother me if they open with the Kim Muir followed by the Pertemps. But its just not cheltenham as I know it. Maybe I'm just getting old. I do like the idea of three of the most looked forward events opening the meeting.
 
granger said:
Hypothetically, What would the extra days championship race be?
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Festival Trophy would be my guess now that its been given grade 1 billing. You might try and say the bumper is technically a championship race, but I think you'd be hard pressed to convince anyone.
 
Relkeel said:
Looks like somebody's been reading The Daily Mail!
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You gotta enlighten me there......I only read the Metro in the morning!! Enough doom and gloom in that to last a lifetime, except for the pictures of Harrington of course :)
 
Shouldn't be too long before we have the English equivalent of Galway. The craic is great and the racing incidental and average.
 
Don't get me wrong, I really don't want a fifth day.

However, were one to be added there is no way that I'd stay at home for it. Besides which, if it came to it (which it won't!) I'd far rather see a 5 day Festival than a 5 day Royal Ascot or Glorious Goodwood, for example, both of which we have already.
 
The mares final which is currently run at Uttoxeter on the Saurday of festival week would be a nice addition for Cheltenham.
I don't like the 130 start -purely for the benefit of television.
 
How about a 3 day Festival of 9/10 races per day commencing on the Monday with Tuesday and Thursday off to recover from the day before? :p
 
I spoke to my brother about racing earlier in the week. He is not big into racing, but loves Cheltenham for the chance to bunk off work, exchange tips and generally act the bollix with managerial approval.

I think a huge swathe of the Cheltenham target audience are like that. And they don't really care if their winning horse is in the Grand Annual, Bumper or Gold Cup.

Gillespie knows this, and also knows that he will get people into the racecourse in the short term.

So like Warbler says, it is only a matter of time.
 
Agree totally, Bar.

Five days of mediocre racing with only one really good class race per day, what a horrible thought!
 
How about 3 days of maybe 6/7 races each day?

Preferably, but not neccessarily, on the second Tuesday to Thursday in March?
 
Ain't ever gonna happen. Where is Gillespie going to make the money back from the lost days revenue, especially the corporate?!

As I say, I don't want to see a five day Festival but I would go to one since I wouldn't want to miss any of the days. I am also sure that a five day Festival is inevitable and probably sooner rather than later. Gillespie will be wanting to culminate in a Saturday Gold Cup I'm sure, thus tampering with tradition even more.

Mind you, I'd rather see a five day Festival than a five day Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, wouldn't anyone else?
 
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