Cheltenham 2008 – quick query

[davidbrady]

Couple of quick questions re the The David Nicholson Mares Only Hdl

1. Is this the only new race at the festival this year?

2. Does it replace any race or are there 25 races this year?

3. How is the race order affected – is the County Hdl still the last race or what is the story here?

Thanks

[graysonscolumn]

I’m pretty sure the answers to the first two questions are "yes" and "25 races", but I haven’t seen where it fits into the running order as a whole yet.

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[Smithy]

Disappointing news. I rather hoped it might replace that 3-day event they have in the middle of the track.

[Fist of Fury 2k8]

Great News they are naming a race after the great man……….The Duke was something else and one of the best liked racing personalities of all time.used love listening to him when interviewed on TV………always got the impression he was asking himself "how did these guys get their jobs"

For those who never saw him ride he was also a very good Jockey and rode Mill House when he won the Whitbread……..a classic ride in probably Mill Houses best ever race.

[lorddenning]

Sixth race on the Friday ; after the Grand Annual and before the County Hurdle – according to cheltenham.co.uk

[Irish Stamp]

There should be more X-Country races

[Happy Jack]

Tuesday
02:00 The Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) 2m 110y
02:35 The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1) 2m
03:15 The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) 2m 110y
04:00 The William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase (Grade 3) 3m 110y
04:40 The Festival Handicap Steeple Chase (A Cross Country Steeple Chase) 3m 7f
05:20 The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Race (Listed Race) 2m 110y

Wednesday
02:00 The Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle Race (Registered As The Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle Race) (Grade 1) 2m 5f
02:35 The Royal & Sunalliance Steeple Chase (Grade 1) 3m 110y
03:15 The Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase (Grade 1) 2m
04:00 The Coral Cup (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Grade 3) 2m 5f
04:40 The 138Th Year Of The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Steeple Chase) 4m
05:20 The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) (Grade 1) 2m 110y

Thursday
02:00 The Jewson Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase (Listed Race) 2m 5f
02:35 The Ryanair Steeple Chase (Registered As The Festival Trophy) (Grade 1) 2m 5f
03:15 The Ladbrokes World Hurdle Race (Grade 1) 3m
04:00 The Racing Post Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Grade 3) 2m 5f
04:40 The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (Amateur Riders) (0-140) 3m 1f 110y
05:20 The Pertemps Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed Race) 3m

Friday
02:00 The Jcb Triumph Hurdle Race (Grade 1) 2m 1f
02:35 The Albert Bartlett Spa Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) 3m
03:15 The Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1) 3m 2f 110y
04:00 The Christie’s Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 3m 2f 110y
04:35 The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Handicap) (Grade 3) 2m 110y
05:10 The David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle Race (Grade 2) 2m 4f 110y
05:45 The Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle Race (Grade 3) 2m 1f[/b]

[graysonscolumn]

Disappointing news. I rather hoped it might replace that 3-day event they have in the middle of the track.

Is the wrong answer. Release the vicious dogs!

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[davidbrady]

Thanks everybody – looks like I’ll have to do a Super-Heinz on the Friday instead of my standard Heinz!

[carvillshill]

More needless padding out of a Festival that was perfect at three days and now boasts a significant dross quota. There are only a handful of mares that will be competitive in this and though I’m all in favour of the series itself, the final should have been held at the April meeting- it has no place in the Festival, just like that Cross-Country rubbish.

[graysonscolumn]

though I’m all in favour of the series itself, the final should have been held at the April meeting.

…except that it would clash with the big Yorkshire Bank-sponsored Class 2 mares’ handicap (likely to feature several of the same protagnists) held at that meeting.

I’m pretty comfortable with the inclusion of this new race, all things considered.

gc

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[davidbrady]

I’d rather see the Mares Hdl than the Nov Hcps

[Friggo]

Happy Jack, that was the equivalent of showing a kid all his gift-wrapped Christmas presents in mid-November! I’m now unnecessarily excited.

[Irish Stamp]

Put Escort away then Friggo

[Friggo]

I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it means!
If so I’d be pretty worried about your attitude to the festive period, IS!

[Getzippy]

I do not like the way the fetsival is being diluted in terms of quality.

No need for a mare final imo, good mares can run aginst the boys!

These new races have definitely taken some of the magic away.

Shame.

I think Aintree’s festival is just about perfect – only just behind Cheltenham in terms of excitment and class runners.

Zip

[aphardy]

If you, like I, look forward to Cheltenham like a kid at Christmas, then this is worth a bookmark.

Which has to be the longest link to a page in the history of man.

But worth it.

[Author]

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