Cheltenham 2018/2019

Connections will not be able to declare a horse to run in any race at the Cheltenham Festival if the same horse has already been declared for another race or has already competed in another race over the four days.

The Cheltenham Festival will close for the first time with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle after the race was swapped with the Grand Annual Chase in the final day running order

Tuesday's sixth and seventh races swap positions, meaning the day one card concludes with the National Hunt Chase, following the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase, which becomes race six.
 
Just wondering if the jockeys still have an after Festival party in weigh room after the last race Friday ?
Will they pop corks before or after the Martin Pipe or have they all gone sensible ?

I see just now on Racing post that the second last fence on the old course is to be moved 10 yards further away from final bend, now 110 yards from bend to allow horses more time to balance. I just hope there is enough room to swerve the last if needs be as Finian's Rainbow year things were tight.
 
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Desert Orchid said:
I've said 'hello' in passing a couple of times to Julie at Hamilton knowing she would have not a scoobie who I am. She was charming enough to say 'hello' back.

Seems like a very nice person.
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She would need to be a hard hearted, soulless woman not to say hello to a Robert Redford doppleganger.
 
tiggers1972 said:
Cheltenham are moving the 2nd last fence on the Old Course 10 yards further forward.
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Jockeys would seem to be in favour

I won't say I am against this but it has got me thinking as to in 5 years time if we are looking at this thread and racing in general, how much more watered down will it be to what is here today
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Connections will not be able to declare a horse to run in any race at the Cheltenham Festival if the same horse has already been declared for another race or has already competed in another race over the four days.
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This is wrong and is purely because of 48 hour decs. It has nothing to do with equine welfare and is legally dubious because they have already collected a substantial amount of money in entry fees for horses that, on entry, would have been eligible to run in, say, both the Ballymore and the Albert Bartlett or both the Supreme and the Mares Novice.
 
There are plenty of horses who run at Cheltenham and then on the Saturday in the Midlands National, and there's even a bonus for winning at Sandown on the Saturday and at the festival a few days later. Are these practices to be banned as well?
 
Is it not designed to avoid Sporazene type affairs?

Edit: For those unaware, this was when Paul Nicholls declared Rigmarole to run off top weight in the County Hurdle a few days after finishing 4th in the Champion Hurdle, then withdrew on the day - ensuring that Sporazene ran off 10st 13lb rather than top weight (with half the field out of the handicap to boot).
 
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It doesn't matter what it's designed for, it's altering the race conditions after entries have been made. Not unlike making the Gold Cup a 4 mile race at this point.

Are they going to apply the same regulations to Royal Ascot?
 
I have every sympathy with archie's views and Grey's point is well made.

I think the Sporazene issue probably wouldn't happen very often and the simple way round that is to change the rule in advance to allow the weights to go up on the day but my recollection is that they're trying to get round the idea of the big yards exploiting their strength in numbers (which they should be allowed to do) by keeping eventual non-runners in a race until the last minute with punters not knowing what was and wasn't running.

The chances are the bookies are behind this as they want the markets to be clearer in order to bring in more punters.

Bu archie is entirely correct. It is wrong to move the goalposts at this stage.
 
The trainers knew this before the decs and we have a clearer view of what's running where.
I've never understood a trainer declaring horses in 2m chases 2.5m hurdles 2m hurdles dont they know what is best.
I love to do multiples and how can you when they have 3 or 4 different targets.this rule should help.
 
Outsider said:
The trainers knew this before the decs and we have a clearer view of what's running where.
I've never understood a trainer declaring horses in 2m chases 2.5m hurdles 2m hurdles dont they know what is best.
I love to do multiples and how can you when they have 3 or 4 different targets.this rule should help.
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Yes, it will help punters but it doesn't make it right.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I have every sympathy with archie's views and Grey's point is well made.

I think the Sporazene issue probably wouldn't happen very often and the simple way round that is to change the rule in advance to allow the weights to go up on the day but my recollection is that they're trying to get round the idea of the big yards exploiting their strength in numbers (which they should be allowed to do) by keeping eventual non-runners in a race until the last minute with punters not knowing what was and wasn't running.

The chances are the bookies are behind this as they want the markets to be clearer in order to bring in more punters.

Bu archie is entirely correct. It is wrong to move the goalposts at this stage.
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They did try raising the weights for a while, but it clearly wasn't effective.
2 day declarations already apply to many major NH race, Sunday races and all AW races throughout the winter season, and it operates smoothly on a general basis.
As Simmo pointed out, it was a NH trainer that directly and deliberately abused the former system. 48 hr NH decs are a boon to the punter as much as the bookmaker and it'd be wrong (imo) to throw out the baby with the bathwater because of it.
 
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What day this week do we get the handicap entries I wonder?

The next 2-3 weeks of form study are the most enjoyable of the jumps calendar for me.
 
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