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What would be the single biggest impact change that you think could be made to enhance the Cheltenham Festival?
One change only.
Ban anyone entering the racecourse with any form of camera.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I would set up a huge marquee just outside the course, with live music, some bookies, a big screen and as many portable toilets as you can muster. Let all the powder sniffers / agressive drinkers in there for £60 and let everyone else get on with enjoying the racing on the course.
They don’t seem that bothered about watching the horses anyway.
An old hobby horse of mine, but still relevant I think. Run all the hurdle races on the current Old Course and all the chases on the current New Course.
The Grade 1 status of the Stayers Hurdle and the Triumph is mocked by the lack of hurdles in the final mile of those races.
Go back to three days.
More realistically, shake up the novice races. Drop the National Hunt Chase, make the novice intermediate distance races into handicaps and stop novices running in the open handicaps.
Horses in non novice/juvenile Graded races must have run at least three times prior to Cheltenham.
The more I know the less I understand.
Bin the bumper to make trainers get on with horses’ careers. There’s hardly a horse in there that couldn’t run in one of the novice hurdles. Or even come out of the point to point field and go straight over fences. I bet Fact to File could’ve had a couple or 3 spins over fences last year then beaten Stage Star and Notlongtillmay in the Turners at the age of 6, then run in the Gold Cup or at least the Ryanair at 7.
Bin the 2 and a half mile races other than the handicaps. There is a place for 2m4f championship races in the calendar but not at the Cheltenham Festival.
Slash prize money by 33% and have a 33% bonus to connections ONLY if British trained.
Value Is EverythingNot sure about the “British bonus”. Given people are constantly griping about British prize money being so inferior, it would be sad if top European horses were deterred. Far to few already (apart from the Irish). Remember The Fellow? Nupsala? 100% drugs crackdown. All horses should be fully tested (including hair tests to identify long-term abuse).
I would set up a huge marquee just outside the course, with live music, some bookies, a big screen and as many portable toilets as you can muster. Let all the powder sniffers / agressive drinkers in there for £60 and let everyone else get on with enjoying the racing on the course.
They don’t seem that bothered about watching the horses anyway.
I agree entirely with this , as this is the reason why we no longer attend major / weekend meetings.
Apologies to Kendicate , as I am going to try to piggyback one other issue , if I may. Restrict the number of days at the Cheltenham festival , reduce the number of quirky races i.e. cross country , amateurs , hunters, and even handicaps. Contrary to other views , retain grade 1s , at both championship and novice level at 2 and a half miles. It is ridiculous to have nothing for top class experienced , and novices , between 2 and 3 miles plus , whilst still catering for lesser , but still talented horses.Ian Renton quoted in the RP as saying that there are bound to be changes, and they’re going to have a look at the programme after this years dip in quality. I don’t have access to the full article
“Contrary to other views , retain grade 1s , at both championship and novice level at 2 and a half miles.”
Coggy,
I don’t disagree in princple, but the current program at 2 and half miles is ridiculous. Both for novices and experienced chasers.
The novices have G1 races in February (Scilly isles), March (Cheltenham whatever it’s now called) and April (Manifesto). The older horses have the Ascot Chase in February, the Ryanair in March and the Melling in April.
No other category has G1 races in three consecutive months and nothing before February.
Return the NH Chase (the oldest race of the Festival) back to 4 miles for 1st and 2nd season chasers that have won only 1 or less chases.
They have vandalised this race with the recent changes, when prior to it the race was providing various National winners and a Gold Cup winner.
Many issues arose leading up to the latest changes by running it as the last race of the day on churned up ground.
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