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The issue isn’t the days it’s run on but the quality of racing. Too many Grade 1 races dominated by almost one stable exacerbated by a declining NH horse population. The dilution in each race thanks to the 4 day Festival and the Mares avoidance races.
Moving it to a Saturday is a red herring. Having the meeting during the week means the press & media give it more prominence. Like The Derby it would be lost on a Saturday even in March.
Wouldn’t be such a bad idea IF they moved all the dross to the Saturday card and kept the Gold Cup on Friday.
So Saturday program:
1:30 Mares Novice Hurdle
2:10 Cross Country Chase
2:45 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
3:20 National Hunt Chase
4:00 Foxhunters Chase
4:35 Kim Muir Handicap Chase
5:10 Championship Bumper
I wouldn’t have included the N H Chase, the old four miler, but the latest incarnation of that as a novice handicap is beyond the pale. And if it’s felt essential to have a Grade 1 chase as the feature, the Mares or the Ryanair wouldn’t be much missed on the first three days.
There is an argument that 5-10k less people per day would make for an overall better customer experience as there would be a little more space to move around and maybe even slightly shorter queues for the all important libations.
For me a Saturday Gold Cup should be avoided at all costs as the perceived gains would be heavily outweighed by the negatives of competing not only against football but also the Six Nations Rugby and I highly doubt ITV will bump that from the main channel for (outside of the Gold Cup) a decidedly average card that doesn’t warrant a prime time terrestial Saturday slot.
Given that ITV have also just recently signed an extension to their racing contract in which no doubt this daft idea wasn’t likely even mentioned let alone explored, Racing would do well to drop this notion altogether.
Even in this day of multiple channels,there are plenty of viewers that will only watch something on BBC1 or ITV1 so shoving the Gold Cup onto ITV4 would be a backward step especially as it will be up against the egg chasing
Its another case of attracting new people to the sport
while diss attracting what they have already, a very solid audience
Its a difficult sport to get people into… younger people like to play sport, you can’t play horse racing
“gambling is for mugs”
if you are not caught at the young age watching the Grand National which doesn’t stop the nation anymore then its something you may stumble upon a little later in life…
just let it flow
you will get it or you won’t
like Yeats said, they need to be seen to be making change
stop it
stop
don’t do itGaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I would avoid moving to a Saturday Uttoxeter has it’s big meeting and midlands national on that day
Vf x
On April 19th 2024 yeats wrote:
“Have proper fences that are a jumping test.”Yes, if you could arrange that, then we would be heading back to a three day Festival. The Irish have proper fences which are a true jumping test, the same applies to Auteuil. Why is Cheltenham different?
I hate fallers and injuries, but proper fences represent the sport more than a five day festival or a Saturday Gold Cup.From what I gather the Gold Cup would stay on Friday, no plans to move it to Saturday. I’m not sure what they would move but presumably would mostly be races currently run on the New Course, although saying that they’ve moved courses for the Mares in 2026 by switching days
Moving to the Saturday, but leaving the Gold Cup on the Friday, makes even less sense. If people are going to forego a trip to the football or the rugby, the Gold Cup would be a major reason for so doing. If the Saturday is going to be just another day’s racing, it’s not going to attract bigger crowds.
Whichever races were chosen, there would be zero chance of a Festival card on the Saturday drawing the same level of attention as it does now. Since its move, the Derby has been reduced to a brief distraction from the football or rugby. Its fate should serve as a warning to those considering this thoroughly misguided idea.
Maybe they’ll move it to Saturday morning like the year they shifted the Derby to avoid the football.
The more I know the less I understand.
Utterly stupid idea. Shifting Cheltenham to a Weds to Sat Festival would make me even less likely to go. Saturday has always been Uttoxeter’s big day and a great ‘wind down’ from the midweek excesses. As apracing said, if the change does have to happen, let them shift the dross to the Saturday and keep the quality races to the midweek…. like it used to be back in the (3-) day !
There are far too many absolute whoppers involved in the sport – and seem to want to justify their positions.
I don’t know how many times I’m going to say it, but they seem determined to put their stamp on the sport – but are completely clueless about the realities.
If it isn’t broken, then don’t try to fix it…..but they keep doing this, again and again. When will they stop messing about????
A Saturday card for the Festival is just dumb – and shows a real lack of understanding of the sporting life of the UK. That Saturday, is usually the Six Nations climax, plus Premier League football…….
Too many midweek meetings have moved to finish on a Saturday…..and I’m not convinced they’ve all been successful.
And don’t get me started on Josh Apiafi…….He’s got less brains than a service station pasty.
“The issue isn’t the days it’s run on but the quality of racing. Too many Grade 1 races dominated by almost one stable exacerbated by a declining NH horse population.”
Nail – Head, well said Astralcharmer.
Gold Cup:
1997 – 2013 2 Irish trained winners
2014 – 2025 10 Irish trained winners
The Derby
1985 – 1999 0 Irish trained winners
2000 – 2025 15 Irish trained winners
Watching these races is like being a West Ham fan, knowing that a) your team will probably lose and b) the owners have no clue what to do about that.
I’ve no issue with the Irish connections or horses, and freely acknowledge that Mullins and O’Brien are masters of their craft. But just like Man City winning the title year in year out, the drama and passion diminishes as each year passes with the same results.
When did we last see scenes like those inspired by Desert Orchid, or indeed Dawn Run? When did any Derby winning trainer match the public feeling accorded to Henry Cecil?
The Cooolmore ‘boys’ often seem almost unmoved by their big race winners. Compare that to the excitement that shone through the screen after Cicero’s Gift won last Saturday.
Changing the day you run the race won’t make them any more competitive.
“Too many Grade 1 races dominated by almost one stable”
Ironically we had 3 100/1+ winners on the flat in group 1’s and that was a problem too …
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Who said the big-priced winners were a problem, Nathan? 🤔
I was there when Norton’s Coin won the Gold Cup and, after the initial shock had worn off, everyone was delighted for Sirrell Griffiths.
I know we’re covering old ground here but last season there were 144 runners in the 13 Grade 1s at the Festival and exactly 1/3rd of the runners were trained by Mullins.
There wasn’t one Grade 1 where Mullins didn’t have at least 1 runner.
Perhaps I’m wrong but has there ever been another Festival in history with so many Grade 1 runners represented by just one stable?
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