Cheltenham, Cheltenham, Cheltenham

[barjon]

Whilst I love Cheltenham as much as anyone I do wonder if the focus on it is becoming so strong as to be to the detriment of quality racing elsewhere. It’s as if it has moved from being “the most important meeting of the year” to “nothing matters but Cheltenham” if you see what I mean.

????

 

[Bonjers]

Absolutely - and it's getting worse every year.

 

[Grasshopper]

I’ve never bought the premise of this argument - at least, not insofar as genuine racing fans (such as you might find here) are concerned.

Firstly, I think it’s perfectly natural to view races throughout the season, through the lens of what their impact at the Championship Meeting might be (Festival is this whether we like it or not). I think it’s perfectly fair and natural to do that - as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of the rest of the Pattern.

On this forum, the ‘Road To’ threads usually contain loads of analysis of the related Graded races relevant to a particular target - assuming a separate thread for a specific race hasn’t already been started. The analysis is always deep enough to be respectful, and the pre-Cheltenham events are in no way considered an after-thought. They are scrutinised as stand-alone events at their time in the calendar, with just as much importance as the Festival races which come in the Spring.

If there is any obsession with Cheltenham to the exclusion of the rest of the season, it’s generally the racing-press who are guilty, and not genuine racing fans.

IMHO.

 

[viking]

It’s not just the press but trainers too. Seems to me there’s too many horses now that are given just one or two runs in non-competitive races before the festival


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[Grasshopper]

Is it that straightforward though, viking?

The emerging trend of drier Autumns often means that horses either aren’t ready to go in October, or are ready to go, but don’t get their ground. A run in November, a run over Xmas, a late-Jan/early-Feb prep, and then onto the Festival is now often the way.

I think a lot of trainers are more worried about their top charges being beaten (and blowing the owners Festival bubbles) during their prep races, than they are single-mindedly focused on the Festival to the exclusion of everything else.

Re uncompetitive races, this is down to the Pattern, and the number of Graded options available to trainers, at the expense of open, no-ceiling handicaps (the Victor Chandler’s emasculation being the best example).

 

[granger]

Cheltenham is a monster

But really the season is full of many huge racedays

No one will disagree that March is the end point but not true to say the journey is not paramount

It suits media observance to just highlight March but weekends like this gone are what I look forward to when the flat is on

 

[viking]

The owner angle is a good point Grasshopper and one I wish I’d made


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[barjon]

Is it that straightforward though, viking?

The emerging trend of drier Autumns often means that horses either aren’t ready to go in October, or are ready to go, but don’t get their ground. A run in November, a run over Xmas, a late-Jan/early-Feb prep, and then onto the Festival is now often the way.

I think a lot of trainers are more worried about their top charges being beaten (and blowing the owners Festival bubbles) during their prep races, than they are single-mindedly focused on the Festival to the exclusion of everything else.

Re uncompetitive races, this is down to the Pattern, and the number of Graded options available to trainers, at the expense of open, no-ceiling handicaps (the Victor Chandler’s emasculation being the best example).

Aye, but doesn’t one lead to another? The more Cheltenham is regarded as the be all and end all, the less trainers are prepared to risk their top charges and the less we see of them in other top races such as the Ladbroke (Hennessy) where they have competed in the past. Albeit that it maybe the owners who set the focus.

 

[HawkWing]

Isnt Cheltenham really better viewed as the start of Festival season? Chelt, Aintree, Punchestown, Ayr/Sandown, Auteuil.

 

[Grasshopper]

Aye, but doesn’t one lead to another? The more Cheltenham is regarded as the be all and end all, the less trainers are prepared to risk their top charges and the less we see of them in other top races such as the Ladbroke (Hennessy) where they have competed in the past. Albeit that it maybe the owners who set the focus.

It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Top owners are a distance clear of medium-sized owners, and all of them have egos. I doubt O’Leary/Gigginstown or Ricci would ever have gotten involved in the game, if the Festival didn’t exist.

 

[Grasshopper]

Isnt Cheltenham really better viewed as the start of Festival season? Chelt, Aintree, Punchestown, Ayr/Sandown, Auteuil.

Yes, but the Nash apart, Aintree is pretty-much an afterthought or consolation-prize or both.....unless you own Al Elie.

 

[Truncheon]

Whilst I love Cheltenham as much as anyone I do wonder if the focus on it is becoming so strong as to be to the detriment of quality racing elsewhere. It’s as if it has moved from being “the most important meeting of the year” to “nothing matters but Cheltenham” if you see what I mean.

????

I think it's the 2 1/2 months from Xmas to March that's the problem

The Saturdays of the NH season between Charlie Hall day and Xmas are great with a showpiece race every weekend

But i do find between Xmas and March a bit mundane and is why fans seem have more fun counting down the days to Cheltenham than the actual racing in that period, even this new Dublin Racing festival is just a re-run of the Leopardstown Xmas meeting

Cheltenham is the World Cup and what happens in the 2 months before are just friendlies

 

[reet hard]

Isnt Cheltenham really better viewed as the start of Festival season? Chelt, Aintree, Punchestown, Ayr/Sandown, Auteuil.

More realistic to view it as the 'be all, and end all' - throughout the season - for the majority of top horses, imo.

 

[Maruco]

I get the January and February thing, although I don't entirely agree. Trials Day at the end of January and Newbury in February are great meetings. I also like Classic Chase day at Warwick amongst several other meetings. It's inevitable post Newbury though that any horses with genuine Cheltenham aspirations are being prepped at home, so for me I only really get that feeling between Newbury and the Festival. The big Saturday meetings at Kempton and Sandown in between lack a bit of quality, but I know a few people who love those two meetings, and there very occasionally horses from them that do well at the Festival.

As for the Festival being the be all and end all, I'm perfectly okay with that. It is for me and nobody will change my mind. I see all those good meetings and races across the season as stepping stones to 28 races, and I enjoy each and every one of those too.

 

[wilsonl]

I think it works extremely well. The season starts slowly as it always has and races like the Kerry Nash, Silver Trophy, Cheltenham's October meeting and the Haldon Gold Cup are well spaced and then we get the Mackelson meeting (or whatever it's called nowadays).

After that we seem to have a flurry of top weekends leading up to the excellent Christmas period where it's hard to keep a track of everything that's running at the different meetings.

It unsurprisingly goes quiet thereafter but there's still enough decent racing including the excellent DRF and intriguing Trials Days but thoughts largely turn to what targets doubly entered horses will be going for and how certain horses are going to get the weights rise they need without ruining their mark etc.

The fact is I wouldn't change a thing because the relative quiet spell in February not only allows us time to compile shortlists for March but adds to the anticipation and makes it more the better when it gets here.

I do find it a bit annoying when connections (but more so the media) start mentioning Cheltenham right at the start of the season but then I'm as guilty as anyone for immediately thinking of longer term targets.

 

[Desert Orchid]

Yes, as long as you accept real Cheltenham contenders won't really be bothering their arses in January and February you just have to be more selective with the race you choose for betting.

Isn't that also roughly when some of the yards carry out the anti-flu jab programmes, which tend to set horses back just a little?

But there's still usually at least one very decent Class 2 handicap and/or conditions race every Saturday.

Purely from memory, there's a good 2m hcap chase at Doncaster, the Grimthorpe, those good novice hdle & chase at Warwick, Tolworth, Challow, Rossington Main, Towton, Classic Chase, RP Chase, Schweppes Hurdle etc etc.

 

[tiggers1972]

I think it works extremely well. The season starts slowly as it always has and races like the Kerry Nash, Silver Trophy, Cheltenham's October meeting and the Haldon Gold Cup are well spaced and then we get the Mackelson meeting (or whatever it's called nowadays).

After that we seem to have a flurry of top weekends leading up to the excellent Christmas period where it's hard to keep a track of everything that's running at the different meetings.

It unsurprisingly goes quiet thereafter but there's still enough decent racing including the excellent DRF and intriguing Trials Days but thoughts largely turn to what targets doubly entered horses will be going for and how certain horses are going to get the weights rise they need without ruining their mark etc.

The fact is I wouldn't change a thing because the relative quiet spell in February not only allows us time to compile shortlists for March but adds to the anticipation and makes it more the better when it gets here.

I do find it a bit annoying when connections (but more so the media) start mentioning Cheltenham right at the start of the season but then I'm as guilty as anyone for immediately thinking of longer term targets.

Nail on head.

 

[Tanlic]

I love the build up....Some races like the Tingle Creek can be taken seriously as a guide to the festival but when you get Nicky Henderson sending horses to Kempton every year 2 canters short of a gallop or Jonjo sending them out 2 canters short of a canter no matter how much we discuss the festival for the most part we get it wrong. Then you have the brilliant Daryl Jacob steering his fav grey to victory in the Betfair chase which has absolutely nothing to do with the Gold Cup...Horse like The New One when he was around convincing die-hards this will be his year. Then the worry of wondering if you backed the right horse in the right race only to find out Mullins never had any intentions of running it in the one you chose....Antepost betting can be fun but right now I have doubles and a treble on Envoi Allen Honeysuckle and Epatante knowing fine well the chances of all 3 getting there is remote....

 

[Grasshopper]

I think it works extremely well. The season starts slowly as it always has and races like the Kerry Nash, Silver Trophy, Cheltenham's October meeting and the Haldon Gold Cup are well spaced and then we get the Mackelson meeting (or whatever it's called nowadays).

After that we seem to have a flurry of top weekends leading up to the excellent Christmas period where it's hard to keep a track of everything that's running at the different meetings.

It unsurprisingly goes quiet thereafter but there's still enough decent racing including the excellent DRF and intriguing Trials Days but thoughts largely turn to what targets doubly entered horses will be going for and how certain horses are going to get the weights rise they need without ruining their mark etc.

The fact is I wouldn't change a thing because the relative quiet spell in February not only allows us time to compile shortlists for March but adds to the anticipation and makes it more the better when it gets here.

I do find it a bit annoying when connections (but more so the media) start mentioning Cheltenham right at the start of the season but then I'm as guilty as anyone for immediately thinking of longer term targets.

Good post, pal.

 

[Grey]

The novice races and championship events at Cheltenham are season defining. Only a few other races during the season are in that category - such as the Grand National, Tingle Creek (not sure if it still is?), King George VI,

But as far as I'm concerned Envoi Allen, Shishkin, Honeysuckle and a bunch of others have already demonstrated what talented performers they are regardless of what happens them at the festival.

The festival handicaps are not the be all and end all. There are equivalent or better races elsewhere during the season than the Pertemps, County, Kim Muir, Ultima etc.

The bumper is avoided by plenty of trainers and the prize fund is lagging behind more valuable races in Ireland.

The cross country could become a bigger event.

But Cheltenham has the crowds, it has the buzz, a spectacular setting and a prime position in the calendar.