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Racing purists will probably slip into cardiac arrest after reading the following question, but it will be interesting to gauge a small portion of the racing publics view.
Should 2m4f be a championship distance in NH racing?
The accolade of best 2m and 3m chaser / hurdler is much vaunted on the NH scene, but the ‘speciality distance’ of 2m4f – combining the essential attributes of speed and stamina – is vastly overlooked.
The Ryanair chase (2m 5f) at The Festival has been elevated to Grade 1 status, but should it be considered a championship event, equal to that of a Champion Chase, Gold Cup etc etc? Should races like the Old Roan chase at Aintree also be upgraded?
2m4f is a speciality distance. Horses like Monet’s Garden, who has defeated both Well Chief and Kauto Star over this distance, lack the speed to compete with the best over 2m, but also lack the stamina to stay 3m.
The Ryanair has rightfully been elevated to Grade 1 status. The quality of this race seems to increase every year and, with the possibility of a field including Monet’s Garden, MyWayDeSolzen, Racing Demon, Our Vic, Snowy Morning, Star De Mohasion and The Listener, this year is no exception.
An elevation of 2m4f races throughout the season could also see a clash of Gold Cup and Queen Mother champions. Likewise, it would also increase the chances of Champion Hurdle and World Hurldle winners meeting.
What’s your opinion?
At Cheltenham, the choice that connections have for their horses has never been better. We now have championship races for speedsters, stayers & middle-distance horses over fences and a similarly broad choice for hurdlers at novice, championship & handicap standard. IMO they have the balance right as it stands in that there exists a race to suit 99% of all able horses, but not having a card with every type of race imaginable.
Furthermore, 2m4 horses already have a championship Grade 1 race- the Melling Chase. Unfortunately, due to the comparitive stamina tests that Cheltenham & Aintree pose it often ends up being a rematch of the QM, somewhat stealing the thunder of the 2m4 contenders.
It all depends on your outlook- personally as I’ve said before I hate the extra races at the Festival as I consider that they dilute the quality in the established Championship races. On this path, where do you stop? Races at all distances for all horses, but none of the good horses having to take each other on. The argument for the Ryanair was that horses like Native Upmanship would have a race to suit but how much poorer would that have left the Champion Chases he contested? The trainers will always be in favour but for me the purist should be vehemently against any further dilution of quality.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
2m4F Prince Harry Champion Chase
Don’t thinks so. The balance at the Festival is spot on IMO and should be left as is.
I think the best the elevation of the Ryanair to grade 1 status is the best thing that could’ve happened.
A similar 2m 4f / 2m 5f championship race for hurdlers and I think its right then.
So where do you find the horse to run in this 2m4f hurdle race?
Do you take some out of the Champion Hurdle and some out of the World hurdle and make them less interesting.
I personally can see no need for such a race as it would create no real interest.
2m4f novice championships I think are already enough where you can find future World Hurdle and even possible Gold Cup horses like Denman learning their trade.
To me they are like stepping stones to the big ones and should be kept as such.
The change to the Ryanair Chase is, imo, stupid and symptomatic of the way the entire NH structure is being slowly altered to pander to Cheltenham.
This season we already have Grade 1 chases at Ascot (2M 5F) on Feb 16th and Aintree (2M 4F) on April 3rd, so there is no justification for another Grade 1 in March in terms of providing horses with opportunities.
There’s also a 2M 4F Grade 1 hurdle at Aintree and there used to be a perfectly good race at that trip at the Cheltenham meeting that was run two days ago. But for some reason, Cheltenham opted to change the Cleeve Hurdle to 3M, thus removing some of the anticipation from the Stayers Hurdle.
If Cheltenham want to stage a Grade 1 over 2M 4F, it should replace the existing handicap on Bula Hurdle day in December, so as to provide a spread of races through the season.
We now have the daft situation whereby certain types of horse have two chances at winning a Grade 1 at either Cheltenham or Aintree in a three week period. There are two juvenile hurdle Grade 1 races, two 2M novice chases, two 3M novice hurdles and now two 2M 4F chases. Why those and not all the others?
The 3M novice hurdle at Cheltenham has also been upgraded this year, another change that’s totally unjustified and means there are now three Grade 1 races for novice hurdlers and only two for experienced horses.
The rule seems to be that what Cheltenham wants, Cheltenham gets.
AP
Should 2m4f be a championship distance in NH racing?
The accolade of best 2m and 3m chaser / hurdler is much vaunted on the NH scene, but the ‘speciality distance’ of 2m4f – combining the essential attributes of speed and stamina – is vastly overlooked.
Very much in favour of ‘chamiponship’ performances at 2m4f being regarded the equal of those at 2m and 3m+, as should those at 5f 8f 12f and 14f+ on the Flat.
Don’t see why 2m4f is a ‘speciality’ distance, it’s a full half mile removed from 2m and 3m after all, so understandably there’s plenty of horses ideally suited by this trip
Although from a ‘tidiness’ point of view I’m glad the Ryanair has been upgraded, I doubt Aintree are too chuffed about it.
Don’t thinks so. The balance at the Festival is spot on IMO and should be left as is.
Spot on
AP SAID: There’s also a 2M 4F Grade 1 hurdle at Aintree
>> I have always regarded that race as the 2m 4f Champion Hurdle…….where champion hurdlers can go and show of their skills and take on the best 2m 4f horses……By memory Danoli Anoch Night Nurse and Monksfiled ran in it French Holly and Istabraq…. and Pridwell turned over Istabraq etc.
2m4f horses have there championship over hurdles already and agree there is no need to be changing Cheltenham
There was no need to upgrade the Ryanair either – now there’s 3 Grade 1 2m 4f chases within 3 months of each other – all seems rather silly and Cheltenham getting this idea that anything remotely decent has to be run there.
I don’t know if I’d go with that, IS. The Ryanair offers a slightly stiffer test than either the Acot chase or the Melling Chase, with both Monet’s Garden and to a lesser extent Our Vic providing evidence for this in the past season or two. The Ryanair is a viable Grade 1 because the Gold Cup takes a lot more getting than your average 3m G1, hence there will be horses who just get 3m that will find the GC of absolutely no use to them, and the stiff 2m5 G1 will allow them a big race at the festival. Looking at the potential field, I think the decision to upgrade has been a good one.
Friggo,
But looking at the potential field for the Ryanair, is there a single horse among them that wouldn’t still be present if it was a Grade 2.
AP
Friggo – are you claiming that a Gr1 race away from the Festival is not worth as much as a Gr1 at the Festival.
Just to add to AP’s point – The field is probably that good because the gold cup is basically 2/1 the field… Nobody wants to line up to run for fourth place…
AP,
It is a fair point you make, although I think connections of Tamarinbleu and My Way De Solzen for two will factor in the lack of Grade 1 penalties. I do think though that the Ryanair has become a more viable and attractive option for the very best horses due to it’s upgrade and the resultant dismissal of the aforementioned G1-winning penalties.
David,
I am not insinuating in any way that a G1 at the festival is more important than a G1 anywhere else, and if you can show me where as much is implied then I apoligise. My point was that the Ryanair is a different test in terms of stamina. I could believe a Champion Chaser winning at either Ascot or Aintree, but I would be surprised to see one win a Ryanair. This would lead me to suggest that the Ryanair differs in nature to the other two, and that it has a place as a G1 race.
The problem with so-called ‘Championship’ NH races is that only races at the festival are thought of in that way.
On the flat, there are Championship races at a number of the major courses (Newmarket, Epsom, Ascot, Doncaster, Sandown, Goodwood, York, Newbury). As a result there is a real pattern to the flat season with each of the G1s being given the prominence they are due.
There is nothing worse IMHO than watching the Charlie Hall chase and hearing it referred to as a stepping stone to the Gold Cup. All roads shouldn’t have to lead to Cheltenham.
So to answer the OP’s question, whether 2m4f is a ‘Championship’ distance is not the point, particularly as the question is posed on the basis that to be a ‘Championship’ race it has to be run at Cheltenham. As long as there are G1 races over a variety of trips and tracks that are contested by the top horses throughout the NH season, all have an opportunity to prove themselves top class.
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