Cheltenham Race Distances

[The Eye Of Sauron]

Anyone know why, at the last Cheltenham meeting, there were two chases over 2m 4f on the Old Course, as opposed to the usual distance of 2m 4f 110y (the Paddy Power distance)?

I see that the PP is billed as usual at the extended two and a half miles.

I can’t seem to get a handle on the time that Poquelin ran in the first of the two chases at 2m 4f. It looks to have been run very fast (albeit on fast ground), under a big weight too.

Was the reduction in distance just a blip for the one meeting?

[apracing]

They omitted the first fence in the chute where the Paddy Power starts, which I reckon means rather more than half a furlong was taken off the distance – and of course one fence less than normal was jumped.

It was done because the ground near that first fence was considered too firm to be safe (a problem with the watering for some reason?), so it seems reasonable to assume it will be a one off.

AP

[carvillshill]

Thanks AP, that confused me too- couldn’t reconcile the race distance to the Old course. The second last was as bad as ever!

[The Eye Of Sauron]

Thanks also AP. That explains matters.

The race time was 4:43.3, which is nearly 17 seconds quicker than the RP standard time for the usual 2m 4f 110y, and even if you knock say 7 seconds off that for half a furlong shorter, it would still be 10 seconds faster, so as you say, I suspect Poquelin and Kangaroo Court’s races were run over nearer to 2m 3f 110y.

Perhaps I’ll Google-earth it with a scale rule. Perhaps not!!

[apracing]

Given that time and the shorter trip it obviously highlights, it’s interesting to bear in mind what Paul Nicholls said after the race, that he’d favour dropping Poquelin back to 2M at the November meeting as he felt that was his ideal distance.

He’s now unable to do that as his rating climbed above the maximum for the 2M handicap – it’s a 0 – 145 and he’s now on 148 – so he’s been forced to commit Poquelin to running in the Paddy Power.

He’ll appear in the form book as a course and distance winner, but the reality is rather different – at around 6/1 second favourite in the ante-post market, he looks one to take on.

AP

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