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https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/five-day-festival-not-ruled-out/175731
“no one wanted 3 to 4 days but everyone loves it now”
I’m sure not everyone loves it on here at least
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Wouldn’t be surprised if this happens as soon as 2021 when the new mares Chase comes in,that way they won’t need to scrap a race.
They just get away with 4 days and only because the gold cup is still on the last day.
5 days will ruin the meeting and the whole season and all due to JCR greed!!I hate it, just dilutes the racing.
Same thing has happened with the July meeting at Newmarket, I don’t bother going any more.I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysI doubt I will bother with Cheltenham much if it goes to five days. I would probably still take Gold Cup day on leave just out of sentiment and nostalgia but I would not be interested in the other days very much. Four days has compromised the festival, a fifth day would ruin it.
Every race used to be white-hot; the Ryanair, the 3-mile novice hurdle, the DLT and the mare’s hurdle have diluted the intensity
4 days is perfect. Surprised some still desire 3 myself but 5 would be just bottom line driven. We can see what that mentality is doing to the cricket fan base with their wretched and pointless 100 competition
Talking with friends at Sandown yesterday and changed mind somewhat
It could and maybe shoUld now be 5 days
It would only require adding a couple races and frankly the current seven races a day feels one too many. It’s an exhausting event of course and it always feels one too many (although there is the advantage of the crowd dispersing more slowly)
Gold cup on a Saturday makes sense too
One thing I would point out regarding expanding it to the Saturday is that this currently clashes with the final day of the Six Nations rugby, the one weekend in the championship that all of the matches are played on the same day. ITV has the home games of three of the teams, including England and Ireland, live (BBC has the other half). I can’t imagine either racing or rugby being too happy about one of their flagship events being relegated from the main channel.
There is no going back to three days. It should be four days but just six races each day. The other four can be moved to the Cheltenham fixture in April if they are still needed.
I’m all for sticking with how it currently is but a fifth day is imminent (Money talks) and using 4 races from Tue-Fri & the Mares Chase would at least not dilute the festival much at all.
Would help them with not needing to decide which race to bin also as that could stay to maintain the 6 races a day.
The only issue is what race to introduce to make the sixth race on the Saturday.
Stayers handicap hurdle over 3 mile 4 perhaps?Got to have Grade 1 chases over 2m 2.5f and 2m 7.5f. Same rationale as the Ryanair, it’s not fair that some horses are between their ideal distances.
Maybe another one of these brilliant Mares Races too? Restricted to Ricci owned horses perhaps?
Oh, and Ryanair / Ricci Grade 1 hurdle over 2m 4f natch.
BUY THE SUN
Surely the only thing missing is one of those football mascot races.
Downside would be the talking heads on ITV would start ramping up the “excitement” from 1st November.
Aye. All getting a bit much. Sick to death of other courses, races and punters, being short changed all season. “All about March for this”, “not his cup final today”, “come on a bundle for that”, ad nauseum.
Aintree more my cuppa cha these days.
BUY THE SUN
Spot on Tatling.
I hate the way that so many wonderful races during the season are seen as nothing more than trials for the festival.
And Aintree and Punchestown are getting better every year.
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