I’d also prefer 3 days, but agree it isn’t going to happen.
I’d get the 3 worst races (for me, that would be a contest between 3 mares races, Bumper, X Country and Foxhunters) as the last race on the first 3 days, so people can at least go home early if race is not for them. On the Friday though, I think a cracking race to end the meeting would be ideal. Personally, County Hurdle would be OK, but this year’s race was the worst I can ever remember. Elsewhere, JP McManus’s idea of reduced fields in Cheltenham Handicaps has been given a positive mention. I think it is a terrible idea and the turnout of only 16 in this year’s County highlights that to me (the good prize money elsewhere at Kelso just before the festival may have affected the turnout here). While JP’s idea may be intended for the good of racing, I’m sure he’d end up with a healthy proportion of each handicap field anyway. I also don’t see a reduction in field size making any significant impact on horses showing their true ability pre-Cheltenham to get into these races - it could even make things worse overall, as trainers look at targets elsewhere instead. The increase in qualifying criteria has already addressed this issue well anyway. I’d have a look at being more strict with French Racing marks too, as I think being too harsh, is a better option than being too lenient with an unknown horse.
I would also caution, using the Grand National as an example, that making too many changes at once, without leaving time to evaluate the benefit of each one individually, can devalue the whole. Over the last few years, although some good changes have been made, I think overall, the race, at least for a time, became more dangerous, by making the fences too easy and thereby increasing the pace of the race. I don’t enjoy the race as I once did anyway, but maybe that is me getting old (and from having a good record in the race, to not having a winner since Neptunes Collonges in 2012).
