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Quote: from Maxilon 5 on 8:06 pm on Mar. 20, 2007[br] I love the National as much as the next man, but it’s only the weight of its heritage that prevents it from having its credibility queried as much as the Sporting Index races do
…I’ve just sprayed coffee all over the screen.  Not easy to achieve, GC.<br>
Hihihihihi, sorry about that, Max! I don’t think it’s too far-fetched a hypothesis, though. This is an era in which sensibilities over the rights and wrongs of campaigning horses over jumps is at an all-time high, trickier courses and fences (hello Haydock) are being neutered, etc. etc. Were the Grand National not already in existence, proposing it as a new event in this prevailing climate, with its drop fences, huge ditches and all, would likely be met with accusations of being anything from a silly novelty not becoming of classy horses, to downright lethal.
A death tally of just 2 horses in 12 years (and only one of those from injuries sustained in the race proper) prevents Cheltenham’s cross-country races from being branded the latter, but you’ve certainly heard it called the former enough times since the course was laid.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
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.
A few voices mooting a five day Festival and a switch to the weekend.
Weekend is not a problem – racing needs to put it’s great days in the shop window.
I suppose if they reduced the number of races to 6 per day you’d only be talking about three additional races to make it a five day festival but I’m not in favour. What would be gained, bar racecourse and Cheltenham environs revenue?
That said, you could hardly imagine ever oing back to three days now so you never know.
Four days is ideal but a move to the weekend is essential – so four days Wednesday – Saturday will do for starters then, in a few years a move to Thursday – Sunday
I like the 4 days and midweek cards. It’s good to have a sport that is on during the week. I’m going to help the purists not contradict themselves, by pointing out that more stag party types are more likely to turn up in a weekend card. It’s one of these things i’m not to fussed about either way. As stated, i like things as they are. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I maybe wrong, but is there actually enough room at Cheltenham to attract more people than the numbers that already attend on the Friday ?……i can’t help but feel the bookies would benefit the most, and as a result no real sport should have it’s biggest show piece altered to suit any bookmaker.
Much preferred it when it was three days, so five isn’t me. If they do move it to Wednesday to Saturday I doubt if they will have The Gold Cup on the Saturday. It will probably be like Ascot and they will put a weaker day on Saturday. There is no financial incentive for them to have the Gold Cup on Saturday as it is sold out anyway and putting one of the other days on Saturday will probably increase the crowd for that day.
Please NO!
Don’t these people realise the thing that makes Cheltenham so GREAT is it’s Top Class COMPETITIVE racing. They just want to water the xxxxxxx thing down even further to get more shoes through the gates.! More races mean less competitive. Runs a big risk of making it in to just another Festival. Gold Cup day is already short on Top Class racing.
Get rid of the Albert Bartlett, we don’t need two staying novice hurdles for connections to avoid each other’s best horses.
Get rid of the X Country race, racing thoroughbreds around 90 degree bends on unwatered firm ground – is asking for trouble!
Get rid of the Quevega Benifit Mares race. Apart from one horse the others weren’t up to the Grade. As Voler La Vadette proved, Mullins horse would’ve enhanced the Stayers hurdle. Any other mares (like Kentford Grey Lady) could enhance quality of handicaps.
As Timeform suggest: Put in a 3m6f handicap chase with £100,000 bonus if going on to Aintree National glory that year, £50,000 if winning it the next year.
Keep 4 days but reduce it to 6 races every day.
Value Is EverythingWeekend no problem.
But 5 days? Now if we just squeeze the goose firmly by the throat maybe we can squeeze another golden egg out…
Rob
A big NO from me for 5 days.
Tuesday is already watered down with the Mares Hurdle and the Cross Country Race. There’s no scope for further Graded races so likely any new races would have to be handicaps = bookies benefits.
I feel the Albert Bartlett is a good addition with the likes of Bobs Worth and Weapons Amnesty proving themselves as top class performers.
As for moving to the weekend, again it’s a NO from me. Having the Gold Cup on the Friday means racing gets on the front pages Fri+Sat. Moving to the weekend would mean competing with the likes of the 6 Nations and FA Cup so not a good move in my opinion.
Well, I’m sorry but it’s already a
fait accompli
.
According to the Cheltenham website, the Festival will now start on a Thursday with the climax coming on a Monday. There will be
no dilution of quality whatsoever
as can be seen with this exclusive reproduction of the Monday card:
1.30 4yo 4m novice chase
2.10 Veteran’s (11yo+) 2m novice hurdle
2.45 All-Grey’s 6f Sprint hurdle
3.20 Cheltenham Charity Challenge 2f Dash (Flat)
4.00 Another feckin’ Cross Country Chase (Firm, Gd-Firm in places)
4.40 2m Bumper for Jumpers
5.15 Flat Jockeys v Jumps Jockeys v Footballers 3m2f Hcap ChaseTickets still available.
Mike
The meeting has lost significant intensity since the move to 4 days. It used to be white-hot competition from beginning to end, but there is too much padding now.
The Ryanair is a good contest but has diluted both the GC and the 2MCC, the mares hurdle has deprived us of Quevega vs Big Bucks, the Jewson of Sir Deschamps vs Bobsworth. The cross-counrty is a novelty only, and the 3 mile novice is unnecessary; that’s 5 we could lose without any tears.
I’d accept the 4 yr old handicap hurdle which has improved the quality of the Triumph.Agree with Befair and others.
It just isn’t the same now. Tariners uming and ahhing about which race to go for. There are too many ordinary races in my book.
It’s all about money, but the product suffers IMHO.
As for midweek – it’s fine there, makes it more unique and most people take time off for it. As somebody else mentioned it gets a deal of press coverage by virtue of NOT being at the weekend.
Zip
Three days was plenty. Four days is more than enough.
Can’t see the point of a fifth "Cheltenham Heath" day. It just doesn’t seem right.
No need for a Saturday either. York’s Ebor meeting has been spoilt by having the move to a Saturday.
This week has proved that the crowds will flock to Cheltenham in the week, without the need for a Saturday. It’s totally unnecessary.
The Derby has lost much of its mystique by being on a Saturday, instead of the old Wednesday. Now it has to compete with all the other "mainstream" sports for attention.
Why should we pander to the TV demands for a Saturday or claims that "this is when people can attend"?For me, the three day (seven races per day) festival was utopia.
4 days is already strecthing things for the reasons mentioned by others so 5 days is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!
For those who have mentioned a long distance handicap chase as the one missing link, I’m sure Uttoxeter would be glad to be relieved of the Midlands National, which as per Northern Racing policy is being currently being downgraded by stealth on the basis of the "get the stag do crowd through the doors and we can run any old sh*t for a couple of grand per race and they won’t care". This could be run over the 4m 1f on the New Course as part of the Gold Cup undercard.
I also like the midweek format but I sense the Saturday meeting is a foregone conclusion in the next couple of years.
A 5-day festival would surely involve further dilution which reduces competitiveness which can’t be good.
The only way a 5th day would work is if it’s not part of the festival proper, something like the final day of the Punchestown festival. Make it a moderate race card for moderate horses, and don’t bill it as anything other than that. I bet they’d still get 50,000 through the gate.
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