Cheltenham festival changes for 2025

I think they are largely positive,, particularly the changes to the novice chases - should encourage more competition in the arkle and whatever the 3m1f chase is called these days.
 
They're basically sacrificing competitive handicaps that fill (too many now obv) in an effort to enhance the Browns and Arkle. No problem with this on my end.
 
I agree with the downgrading of the Turners race, but did both it and the NH Chase have to become handicaps?

Why does the cross country chase need to become a handicap again? The festival should be about identifying the best in each branch of jump racing and giving them their chance to shine. The argument that a lot of winners start at short prices should have nothing to do with it. By that logic horses like Constitution Hill are bad for the sport.
 
The fun of the NH chase in the olden times was the fact that runners were maidens at the start of the current season; allowing the Tiger Rolls and Corbett's Cross to run has not helped imo.
Removing the race from Amateurs is a backward step also.
Grass roots need their day in the sun as much as anyone else.
 
Won’t make much difference, they lost the plot ages ago. Cheltenham should be about pitting the best against the best and not giving the best opportunities to avoid each other. As Chris Cook says in today’s Racing Post “…when a quarter of all festival races end up with an odds-on favourite, someone has made a mess of things.”
 
I'm cool with it. The Cross Country has been a boring no bet race for a while.

Have top grade ones and the rest handicaps. Trying to go in the middle and please everybody is a problem I reckon.

The Cheltenham Festival is a success story, and us racing fans should continue to celebrate and support it as just that.

The sport has a lot more pressing and serious issues to worry about than the purity of this meeting.
 
Personally think it’s scandalous that the Amateur Jockeys Association knew nothing about the plans to open the NH chase up to professionals until the news was made public. Typical pomposity from Cheltenham management and the Jockey Club
 
Marb said:
I'm cool with it. The Cross Country has been a boring no bet race for a while.

Have top grade ones and the rest handicaps. Trying to go in the middle and please everybody is a problem I reckon.

The Cheltenham Festival is a success story, and us racing fans should continue to celebrate and support it as just that.

The sport has a lot more pressing and serious issues to worry about than the purity of this meeting.
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You are a million miles wrong with that -the festival has become less competitive since 2016.Odds on favourites are now a regular feature of the meeting.In my opinion the meeting is standing on the shoulders of the reputation it earned in the 80's &90's.
 
I can get the certain grievences for sure. The price of a burger and a pint no doubt.

The issue with debates around the purety of the races are that everyone has their own opinion. Many people critisized Aintree for lowering the fences a few years ago. Now it seems to be generally accepted they needed to do this, for the perception of the races sake as much as the reality.

Don't get me wrong, I have only attended Cheltenham once in 2016. It was a wet cold day and I couldn't see a horse. The best bit was linking up with old Maruco who yes, bought me a pint. It wouldn't have mattered if it was a grade one or weight for age grade three or handicap for that matter, I still wouldn't have seen a horse from where I was.

Ultimately, I'm just saying, is it really that important? Not to me.

If they raise a pint of Guinness to a tenner a pint I'll definately start a thread and write to the Racing Post though.

I've been spouting shite since 2005, Lucas.
 
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I don't like the changes at all.

Three more handicaps are three more reasons for connections to act the bol**x all winter.

While I liked the Turners and was no great fan of the novice handicap chase that was removed from the programme in 2021, I can see some logic in this change. I might disagree with it but I can acknowledge its' existance.

However, I see no merit to the changes to the National Hunt Chase and the cross country.

In the case of the cross country, they want to go from a memorable era of Delta Work, Tiger Roll and Easysland back to mid 130 winners like Rivage D'or, Big Shu and A New Story. This doesn't represent progress. Like so many of the programme changes in british racing in the past couple of seasons it is a dumbing down and a race to the bottom.

The continuation of elevating handicaps at the expense of graded races in the British programme will see even more of the big money owners and the quality horses going to Ireland. As for the integrity issues caused by increasing the importance of handicaps for novices, well I expect we'll see some interesting rides on 140 rated novice chasers this winter.
 
The 4 days initially diluted it. It was always 3 days of the best v best over hurdles or jumps at set distances. There was no ducking races for others. That is what made it special. They will spoil it. Next thing will be Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup as handicaps. It is money obviously like making big races on a Saturday when they were always in the midweek. The Derby, Ebor etc were big draws even in midweek but now have to be run on a Saturday for max £. Saturdays are big football days so is it such a big big boost running the Derby on a Saturday for instance? Maybe it is, but tradition has been lost
 
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Racing is chasing after audiences who aren't interested in horse racing as such. Cater to the diehards and casual racegoers and there is no issue imho.
 
Speaking of Cheltenham, that was a nice reintroduction for Il Est Francais today.

It would be great if he came over for the King George - that is reportedly the plan - and then Cheltenham.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Speaking of Cheltenham, that was a nice reintroduction for Il Est Francais today.

It would be great if he came over for the King George - that is reportedly the plan - and then Cheltenham.
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Drifted from 1.32to 2.18 on betfair pre race before settling at slight odds on.I thought he had the race won after he jumped the First.Could see him putting up an amazing performance at Kempton but he would need oxygen half a mile out in the Gold Cup.
 
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