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Those pleased with these changes will be bookmakers who have 3 more of their beloved handicaps and the sockless drunks who can now rampage around more of the racecourse.
Thanks Glad – silly me, of course it is 2m5f.
The RSA was also originally called the Sun Alliance Chase and I did originally type it as such but as I had already used that for the hurdle (which I also originally typed in as being 2m5f), I thought it better to use the RSA moniker instead (to avoid confusion lol) but in deleting and moving sentences around and retyping it, I clearly missed that error.
I am pleased with some of the changes.
The race conditions changing for the Turners and NH Chase mean we should end up with bigger fields and more interesting Arkles and Brown Advisorys.
The increase in runs required to get in a handicap should also bolster the field sizes in graded races as you won’t be able to hide a graded horse in 4 or 5 runs, they’ll blow their mark probably. Also novices now can run in novice handicaps for the Turners and NH Chase which are easier to qualify for I believe as they aren’t subject to the run requirement increase.
That should also make the handicaps less of a procession e.g. the Kim Muir last year and more what they ought to be which is competitive races which yes will make it less punter friendly but they should be hard races to solve and to win not a JP hide a 170 horse in a 0-145.
Not sure what difference winning a pertemps qualifier will make as the winners always qualified anyway before and lately the race has failed to fill so if you were qualified 1st-4th you were guarenteed a run.
“The race conditions changing for the Turners and NH Chase mean we should end up with bigger fields and more interesting Arkles and Brown Advisorys.”
On the other side of the coin, there are 2 and a half mile races at other Spring Festivals so they may skip Cheltenham altogether. Similar sentiment for the Cross Country, the higher rated National horses are better off skipping the NH Chase rather than give loads of weight away so close to the National.
It’ll stop the cross country being used as a National prep , I imagine there’s a very pissed off Irish trainer and owner combo ….
Now professional jockeys are in the National Hunt Chase, why not move it back to 4 miles? It would differentiate it a bit more from the other races.
I expect so, HDLG. But one of the main reasons given for reducing the distance has now gone.
I can understand them tinkering with the race conditions again. Since the reduction in distance, the race has not really worked. It is like another Brown Advisory over half a mile further. This years winner should have been in the three mile race but JP already had one lined up.
I wouldn’t have been opposed to them scrapping the race. I wonder how many people had already headed for the exit before this year’s running?
Think the decision to not confine the NH chase to amateurs is premature. What harm would it have done to see how it went for a year or two?
An increase in prize money of only £115,000 over the 4 days is poor, just over 2%. While a pint of Guinness goes up another 4% to £7.80
It’s a lot less than half that at Wetherspoons!According to Ed himself, the powers that be consulted Ed Chamberlin regarding the changes for Cheltenham even if they didn’t consult the AJA.
How odd? Wouldn’t they be better off consulting people with a good racing knowledge? Wonder who else they consulted.
I see O’Leary was condeming the changes in the RP…. Perfect that means there def a positive step
They shouldn’t have made the Turners a handicap. Either change it to a Grade 2 or keep it Grade 1 and change the distances. Turners 2M5F, RSA 3M2F.
Making the National Hunt chase a handicap was the correct decision. I think they should’ve made the Mares Hurdle a Grade 2 also.The biggest improvement would’ve been removing some of the races. Most notably, the Fred Winter.
I can’t help but think bookmakers have had a say in these decisions as they will definitely increase their profits.
Shame they haven’t returned the NH Chase back to 4 miles with professionals onboard. The Mares Hurdle should have had a ratings limit of 150 to try and encourage the best mares to run in the Champion Hurdle.
According to Ed Chamberlain he was consulted on these changes
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
This suggests that they wanted wider consultation via ITV Racing, which begs the question of why they only broadcast it after the public announcement.
Phasing out of amateurs is the best thing about it in my opinion (and I know many on here hate me for it). Aside from the nonsense of Mullins’ son still getting away with being classed as an “amateur”, the increased risk of fatalities and inability to issue comparable (to professsionals) punishment for inept and corrupt rides continues to make a mockery of any pretense at governance. Still being run as a club rather than an industry on which huge numbers rely.
The tinkering of the races isn’t the issue for me. Its the extortionate cost that’s the problem. The fact that over 10000 a day travel over to Dublin shows the issue. And now they make it 7.80 for a guineas. You couldn’t make it up. I can see even smaller crowds in March.
“I can’t help but think bookmakers have had a say in these decisions as they will definitely increase their profits.”
Silly Billy. It’s all about making the racing more competitive, and nothing at all to do with maximising the bookies’ revenue.
Go and sit on the naughty chair.
Thoroughly screwed up the historic NH Chase, once the most important race in the NH calendar, in a reprehensible attempt to pacify the spineless creatures who masquerade as fans of horse racing.
Realizing their unforgivable mistake, they now create a completely different race to try and save face. The least they could have done would be to return it to a 4 mile contest.
When Judgement Day arrives those responsible will face merciless retribution.
....and you've got to look a long way back for anything else.
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