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Whilst I’m sure Cheltenham could do more about the drugs issue…and you only need a gram or two to ‘get you through the day’ as it were so it is not difficult for people to smuggle it in
I don’t know about Cheltenham and other courses but every meeting at York has a significant number of police with ‘sniffer’ dogs mingling with and checking racegoers at the entrance turnstiles, as well as a drugs ‘honesty box’ nearby
No idea how effective the dogs are or how many arrests are made but their presence must be at least a worthwhile deterrent
It’s quite entertaining watching them poke their noses here, there and anywhere
They’ll never make it a 3 day meeting again as greed wins out but 6 races per day over the 4 days would be a huge improvement.
Remove :
Fred Winter
Kim Muir
Albert Bartlett
Martin PipeThose are the races I see absolutely no need for.
Triumph Hurdle > Fred Winter
Baring Bingham > Albert Bartlett
Ultima Handicap > Kim Muir
Coral Cup > Martin Pipe‘It’s quite entertaining watching them poke their noses here, there and anywhere 🙂’
Very good
There have been dogs at Cheltenham the last couple of years when I’ve been.
Plenty of small discarded plastic bags littering the toilets not long after midday so as for their effectiveness I’d say improvement needed.
We truely have lost the war on drugs , FFS people cannot even have a day at races without chucking **** up their nose .
It is quite funny in a way how weak people are .“The Mares Only races are an issue and Dan Barber makes a good point in that Sporting Life article”
He doesn’t really. He says
“The clash with Punchestown’s equivalent Grade One can’t be ignored,”
then ignores it by saying
“but aim to tempt the best mares to take in a Supreme, Champion or Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival first while still providing them the option of a Grade One against their own sex a month later by moving the David Nicholson and Dawn Run to the two-day Cheltenham April fixture”
That fixture is too close to Fairyhouse and Punchestown, and, with the races worth about the same, and the added carrot of the Fairyhouse novice being a G1 compared to the Dawn Run, the best mares will stay in Ireland. Also, without the cachet of the Cheltenham festival proper, nobody cares…look what happened to the Close Brothers’ handicap when it moved to Sandown. From a quality, maximum field handicap, it’s now a pathetic affair with <8 runners.Look at the owners of the mares who have won the champion hurdle since the inception of the mares’ races at the festival- Ricci, JP, Kenny Alexander. They want winners at the festival, not be fobbed off with some midweek irrelevance a month later. Annie Power, Epatante and Honeysuckle all ran in mares’ races at festival prior to running in the CH, as did Apples’ Jade and Luccia. The mares’ programne has been a great success but if you want owners to continue to invest in good mares and keep them in training after they have got their black type- forgoing the production of several years’ worth of foals and risking no future foals at all, if she breaks her neck- they need to have their showpiece event at the “Olympics”.
Thought I’d resurrect this thread, rather than start a new one.
There has been increased support for a return to three days recently. The below article was written before this year’s festival, but there have been other blogs, podcasts and YouTube shows advocating a return to the (for many) good old days in the aftermath of a disappointing four days in terms of on course attendances.
https://www.attheraces.com/blogs/kevin-blake/04-march-2025/kevin-blake
I am firmly in favour of a return to three days but, sadly, money talks and it won’t happen, despite Mr Blake’s hopes.
Get rid of the 3 mares races, the Kim Muir, the Martin Pipe, the novices handicap chase and the cross country.
Job done.
I’d have three days of seven races each. The seven I would lose would be the three mares’ races, the cross country, the Albert Bartlett, the Ryanair and the novice handicap chase. I’d keep the Fred Winter, so as to avoid the old Triumph Hurdle cavalry charges of yore. I’d keep the Kim Muir and the Martin Pipe for the conditionals and amateurs, and I would go back to the old National Hunt Chase, over 4 miles and with no professional riders.
Not every championship event has to be run at Cheltenham – Aintree has the Melling Chase (the winner of which is often superior to the Ryanair winner) and that should be the de facto championship race for chasers over the intermediate trip. Similarly, we have the Sefton for staying novice hurdlers at Aintree – we don’t need the Cheltenham version.
The mares’ championships can be run at different meetings, such as the April one if they have to be at Cheltenham.
Agree with that, Glad. I should have added I would move the three Mares races to the second day of the April meeting.
I don’t particularly like the Kim Muir or Martin Pipe. Don’t they sort of duplicate the Ultima and the Coral Cup but with inferior jockeys?
But I agree the Bartlett and Ryanair are candidates for the chop as well.
I would retain the National Hunt Chase only because of the history. I know some people don’t like the Fred Winter but at least it provides a decent betting contest.
Of course, it is not going to happen. Despite the problems I can’t see the meeting going back to three days.
On the Novices Handicap Chase, if it has to be there is it a good idea to run it on the same day as the Plate? Do we really need two 2m 4f handicap chases on the same card?
“I don’t particularly like the Kim Muir or Martin Pipe. Don’t they sort of duplicate the Ultima and the Coral Cup but with inferior jockeys?”
The Kim Muir was established in 1946 and has always been a good introduction for inexperienced jockeys – I can remember Choc Thornton winning it on King Lucifer many years ago, mainly as I backed him! The Martin Pipe hasn’t been around as long but, again, gives inexperienced riders valuable experience in a competitive big-field handicap and, of course, has served as a launchpad for some top-class horses over the years.
I don’t see the non-novice handicaps as a problem, as they are usually well subscribed and tend not to distract horses from the championship events; likewise, the cross-country.
The novice handicap chase was always my favourite amongst the ‘new’ races and I’m glad it’s been restored in the place of the Grade 1 at the same trip, but it really should be a 0-145 and push the championship horses into the championship races.
The Festival would be well rid of the Ryanair and the mares’ hurdle, and I could cope with seeing the back of the Foxhunters’ now that it’s increasingly being contested by the big yards.
Sorry if previously mentioned but I’d suggest excluding Mares from the Mares Hurdle if they have run in open Grade 1 events since October the previous year. That would have almost certainly ruled Lossiemouth out. Take No Chances would have swerved Fighting Fifth.
Just keep it simple and get rid of all Mares races.
Give them a Mares allowance in the main races.I’m probably in the minority and don’t really mind the four day setup. While I’m not the biggest fan of the sheer volume of novice hurdles, I adore staying chases so the likes of the cross country and Kim Muir would all be big losses to me personally.
I think the main outliers now are the mares races. The two hurdle races would surely benefit from rating caps? Maybe 150? Funnel those really good mares into the Championship races. The Mares Chase is such a none event that it needs a proper overhaul if they are going to keep it. What about making it a handicap and putting in qualifiers throughout the season? Basically a Pertemps Mares Chase?
I’d be tempted to put a cap on the Ryanair aswell (160?), but I’ve softened my stance on that race in recent years.
The Mares Hurdle needs to be a Grade 2 with penalties or a 0-150 race. If it’s to keep its Grade 1 status run it at the Cheltenham April meeting or end of season meeting at Sandown.
The Thursday of the meeting was a mess. 4 big field handicaps on one day. Not helped by the fact the Grade 2 Mares Novices also had a big field that day.
What is most disturbing was the lack of British trained runners in the Grade 1 events. Not sure how long some are going to bury their heads in the sand over this as the situation gets worse year on year but somebody needs to find a solution and fast.
Finally I would go back to 3 days like a number of people but realise that ship has sailed long ago.
Bit of a grenade here, but here goes…
I’ve never really liked the Gold Cup very much. It’s probably something to do with losing some of my very favourite horses in it down the years – Ten Plus, Monsieur Le Cure, Gloria Victis, now Corbetts Cross.
But it’s also that I hate seeing a proper ‘Rolls Royce’ three miler get outstayed by some high-class plodder up the hill – (Pendil by The Dikler in ’73, for example).
So I’d reduce the distance to 3 miles, or 3 miles 1 furlong tops.
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