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Maybe it doesn’t need improving but it does seem that there are ample opportunities for top horses to avoid each other with, often, multiple opportunities for certain horses.
I would (playing Devil’s advocate) –
1. Get rid of the 2 1/2 mile novice hurdle
2. Get rid of the 2 1/2 mile novice chase.
3. Get Rid of the Ryanair (but I could be convinced otherwise)
4. Get rid of all 3 mares’ races. With the allowance they should be asked (and should be able to) compete without having races framed for them.
5. Bring back the Novices’ Handicap Chase – was a good race and an interesting betting contestFor starters….
You?
Cormack15
Sounds like you are saying it should just be a three day festival. It would be the sensible thing to do but it is never going to happen.
The one race I would like to see gone is the Marsh, which has really hurt the Arkle.
Get rid of the Ryanair, (I see Willie has talked about sending Allaho to the 2-miler at Punchestown). Also the Marsh and the 3 mile novice hurdle, maybe reduce the 3 mile novice chase to 2/6 or 2/7. The mares’ races don’t add much, but I’m told they’ve encouraged more mares to be kept in training.
Won’t happen, of course, more likley to see 5 days than 3You’ve suggested removing 4 grade 1’s and replacing them with a handicap? What’s your aim? It should be the pinnacle of racing not a place for more handicappers.
For what its worth if I had a free reign I’d remove the following races in order of priority:
1. Fred Winter – 95% of the horses in this race should not be have a handicap mark. If you want to win a handicap with your juvenile hurdler then go elsewhere. This race would be absolutely no loss whatsoever and would strengthen the triumph field
2. Martin Pipe – this is essentially the same race as the Coral cup except there are worse horses running in it with worse jockeys. The premium national hunt festival should not be a place for this. Removing this race would make the coral and county more competitive.
3. Kim Muir – this is essentially the same as the Ultima except there are worse horses running in it. Refer to Martin Pipe above
4. Mares Novice hurdle – if your mare is good enough she should be running in the supreme, ballymore or albert bartlett. If she isnt good enough for any of them, then the premium national hunt festival is not the place for her.
5. Champion bumper – is it really necessary? The purpose of bumpers are to give young horses racecourse experience, it should not be to give a high profile festival opportunity to a €400,000 winning pointer.
The remaining 23 races would have:
2 miles – novice hurdle, championship hurdle, novice chase, championship chase, handicap hurdle, handicap chase
2.5 miles – novice hurdle, mares hurdle, novice chase, championship chase, handicap hurdle, handicap chase
3 miles – novice hurdle, championship hurdle, novice chase, championship chase, handicap hurdle, handicap chaseTriumph Hurdle – not my favourite race, could easily be scrapped too but has a long history so just about survives.
4 miler – a championship race for the best in that discipline, but I’d return it to 4 miles and have it open to professional jockeys.
Cross Country – a championship race for the best in that discipline
Mares Chase – Probably lucky to make the cut, but worth seeing how it pans out for a couple of years.
Foxhunters – 1. Id return the word foxhunters to the title and damn anyone who wasn’t happy with it. 2. I’d come up with some type of condition that would prevent the likes of Mullins and other top trainers and owners from being able to run horses in it. Its a race for the little guy.Agree about the Marsh, but I somehow like the Ryanair. It was at least as competitive as the Champion Chase and it’s nothing wrong with a Championship race over two and a half miles.
The three mile Nov Hurdle isn’t a bad idea either imo as long as it provides us with later Festival winners. Allaho third to Minella Indo two years ago seems to justify the existance of the race.
I would get rid of the Mares’ races at the Festival and move them to April, but it won’t be enough to have a three day meeting.
Oh, and apart from the winner the X-Country is a rather weak conditions race. Too many failed chasers taking part in it and no other X-Country chases at all during the regular chasing calender.
I don’t mind four days. Could bring it back to 6 races a day and have four days. That would mean taking four races out. I’d take five out (although I do suggest 6 above tbf) and add back the Novices’ H’Cap Chase.
Cormack
Tony Mullins saying on twitter the other day that NH breeders in Ireland are happier with a filly than a colt. Changed days there and no wonder given the opportunities.
I do not have an issue with the number of Grade 1 Novice and Open Championship races at the Festival.
On the Flat you get Group 1s at: 5f, 6f, 7f, 1m, 1m1f, 1m2f, 1m4f and upwards so why is it a big deal to have brought in the Ryanair and Marsh Novice Chases at intermediate trips?
The problem the Ryanair has is no one respects it in its own right – Champion Chase for Allaho next year, apparently, why?
There is actually a Grade 1 race missing – no 2m4f/2m5f Hurdles Championship.
Ballymore for novices, Marsh and Ryanair for novice and open chasers – it’s the legitimate missing piece in the Grade 1 Festival jigsaw.
What we don’t need are these mares’ races and at least one should be ditched.
But it’s more likely two races will be added and we will move to a five-day Festival, six races a day, Tuesday to Saturday.
The business case for it, once crowds return, will be overwhelming, more’s the pity!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Start by calling races by their actual names; I follow the sport and have been getting confused between the Marsh, the 3m nov chase (the old RSA), etc
I’m not sure we need a 2m4f championship Hurdle – there is one at Aintree. Saying that, that was once the case with the 2m4f chasers, but I think they changed the conditions of the Cathcart, and it’s now the Ryanair Festival Chase – as well as the Melling Chase at Aintree.
The reason Cheltenham has been the best four days racing in the World for so many years is it’s top quality and competitive. Indeed, competitiveness is the true key, otherwise odds are reduced along with numbers and it’ll just become like every other festival.
To be honest I had reservations about the Ryanair Chase at the beginning, but have changed my mind. There you go, I’ve said it. Yes it has detracted from both Champion Chase and Gold Cup, but – not significantly… And that’s due to the fact there are more top class racehorses competing nowadays (this year an exception). Ryanair has become a top quality race in its own right.
However, the hurdles division does not have enough top class racehorses to need three competitive Championship races. In reality very few top 2 mile hurdlers don’t stay 2m4f anyway. You’d get four horse Champion Hurdles with long odds-on favourites. You’ve got the intermediate distance at Aintree; Keep it to just the Champion and Stayers at Cheltenham.
Can understand the thought of Mares races to improve the breed and keep mares in training. But wouldn’t it be just the same with a Mares Handicap (one hurdle and one chase)? There are very few top quality novice mares, the best could enhance the other novice races. I know Honeysuckle won the Champion this season, but many top quality mares have had a very easy time in the Mares. Would Dawn Run have ever won both Champion and Gold Cup? What about Flakey Dove? Mares Condition races are a Mullins benefit.
3 mile novice hurdle does seem to be becoming a good grounding for staying chasers – Minella Indo and Monkfish etc. But wouldn’t they have still come through? Far easier for the good horses from each top stable to avoid each other let alone the best from all stables. Monkfish V Envoi Allen would’ve been something! On the whole I don’t think the increase in numbers of top class novices has justified three races in either code – although that may change.
I’d reduce the amateur races to just the Fox Hunter. Are of course some top quality amateurs but not enough to go around. Average quality is simply not good enough and never has been. Too many races of whip abuse, too many races of poor judgement of pace – horses finishing tired and too many jockeys not able to put a horse right at the fences.
Conditional jockeys race seems reasonable for welfare of horses, whether something can be / needs to be done to improve the quality of horse – not sure.
Step up drug testing – every horse that runs here should be tested in its own stable at a time relevant to Cheltenham.
I’d replace the Kim Muir with a Veterans staying chase (3m3f) that could be used as a Grand National trial.
Value Is EverythingSack off the Mares races. The irony of naming the Mares Novice after Dawn Run is staggering.
Sack off the 2.5m Novice Chase.
Sack off the 3m Novice Hurdle.
NH Chase back to 4m, for professional jockeys.
Sack off the Ryanair.BUY THE SUN
Agree with most of the suggestions here. I’d reduce the main festival to 3 days and have the final (or maybe the first) day dedicated to “niche” races for people who like that sort of thing, such as any amateur races (assuming most don’t agree with me and want to scrap them altogether), the cross-country, maybe the bumper & Martin Pipe. Mare’s race if required, but with reduced prestige to deter those with genuine chances in the main event. Sort of like the old Ascot Heath day at the end of the Royal meeting. The only new race I’d support is a veteran’s final/championship but, as GT says, a revamped Kim Muir could cover that.
Would Dawn Run have ever won both Champion and Gold Cup?
I don’t think any champion hurdle winner of either sex will run in the gold cup again. Yeah Dawn Run, Flakey Dove blah. What about Honeysuckle, Annie Power, Apples Jade, Laurina? All have come along since the advent of the mares’ novice and chanced their luck in the big one. Nothing wrong with a young horse paddling in the comparative shallows for a bit. I don’t think Honeysuckle would have won the champion hurdle last year- she wasn’t quick enough through the air. While the carrot of a Cheltenham festival winner is there the mares will continue to aim for it and the best ones will go to the big races when ready.
Mullins only won one of the 3 mares races this year and they provided 2 good finishes and one exciting youngster with decent mares in behind. I think the programme has developed now to a stage where the allowance could be dropped from 7lb to 5lb without dissuading the really good ‘uns from the mixed sex races. Hopefully the numbers will continue to grow so more start spilling over into the open races.
Annie Power was already well established and retired in 2016, year the Novice Mares started.
Apples Jade could’ve run in the first mares novice but instead ran in the Triumph where she was a good second before well and truly turning the tables in the all sex Anniversary at Aintree.
Laurina won an extremely uncompetitive Mares Novice by 18 lengths @ 4/7 fav.
Honeysuckle did not run in any Cheltenham race her novice year.
So neither Annie Power, Apples Jade or Honeysuckle needed the Mares Novice in order to succeed, Green’.
The best mares should sidestep the Mares Hurdle but it’s far from the done thing. If I remember rightly Annie Power only ran in the Champion Hurdle because her trainer and owner’s main chance Faugheen got injured shortly before the race.
Value Is EverythingIf we are playing the “what races would you get rid of so we could have a three day Cheltenham?” game, my response is
The Mares Novice Hurdle
The Mares Chase
The Coral Cup
The Martin Pipe
The Baring BinghamAnd any two out of the Mares Hurdle, the Kim Muir, and the Fred Winter.
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
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