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That’s the long and short of it for me CAS.
It doesn’t particularly affect me, as I rather drifted away from the jumps before the four day festival arrived, I’m more concerned that the authorities in our sport don’t give two hoots about the majority view.
That’s the main gripe with me Kris. It’s their absolute defiance in the face of mounting criticism of the current festival, and the very vocal objections to five days that gets me fuming.
Who is going to step in and stop this?
Fifth day is a racing certainty.
I bet Uttoxeter are pleased.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"They’re doing Aintree no favors either. Two additional races means another 40 runners extra who might rather bypass Aintree than wait for it
My first thought was for Uttoxeter
Also money talks, but what about horse welfare should be more priority then profits
VF x
“We’ll continue that over the next few months to get people’s opinions so we can take a much more rational view on how people feel and what might arise from whether it’s a good or a bad thing. We want to listen to everyone’s views and we’re not going to make any decision lightly.
“At the moment we started particularly with the owners and trainers and I think we’ll expand that into a broader survey which might encompass the ROA or our annual members. Everyone has an opinion and will be listened to.”
Translation:
” It’s a fait accompli. Cha-ching!!”Your translation is spot on, GAG. What’s frustrating is that there are a host of reasons why five days is a bad idea, but only one in favour – and because it’s money, it’ll probably win the day.
The only problem is, how long can you guarantee sell-out crowds to keep that dosh rolling in when you’ve got five days of diluted quality, small fields and long odds-on shots dotting up?
If five days secures bigger profits than four days it will happen and won’t be reversed unless profits dip.
But they won’t – the addition of a Saturday card can’t fail tbh and this will be a permanent change.
In fact, what odds a sixth day on the Sunday too in our lifetimes?
Stranger things have happened.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"It will continue to expand until the law of diminishing returns sets in.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"It’s nailed on for a fifth day – despite all evidence to the contrary. It just shows they take no notice of what happens, at the Festival, and the rest of the season.
I’m still not convinced 4 days are good; we’re starting to see small field sizes in the Gd1 races, as there aren’t enough good horses for all these races. There is no need for 3 Gd1 Nov Chase/Hurdles….
I recall a quote from Ted Walsh on Ch4 Racing in the early 00’s, about the current Festival “it’s become a huge thing, and a lot of people wouldn’t know a horse from a billy goat”. They are the people it’s catered for – those who are willing to splash the cash all day, and are there for the ‘event’ rather than the sport.
Personal point is that I live my racing and it’s the pinnacle but I don’t lead a life that revolves around it. It’s hard to by pass any one day but frankly that’s balanced by the fact that there are a lot of other things to do in life.
It’s a bit like when you have a season ticket at football and fixture congestion drags 4 game sun a week. Only the dullest monomaniacs relish it
That’s not going to bother Cheltenham but I even find 4 days quite enough and skim the last day a bit anyway
Leave aside the fact it’s racing, we all love racing and this is a sacred meeting and view it as a business.
You had three days, you expanded it to four and it was a roaring commercial success.
Of course you’re going to add a fifth day, especially as it’s a Saturday you’re adding for this leisure event.
And if that’s a big success too the pressure will actually be on to make it six with the Sunday as well.
They won’t stop looking to expand a cash cow until they hit the point where there’s no more profit to be made out of it and profits could actually fall if it expands further.
Five days is nailed on, even six days, by adding the Sunday too, isn’t out of the question one day.
I don’t like it much, I certainly won’t be there, but it will be a decent Saturday card which will be on the telly so there is that positive.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Sir Cherryade
You’ve made your point
it’s all in a downward spiral
The horses don’t know
but one thing is for certain Cheltenham will survive
in Gloria Gaynor style.
They say three’s a crowd.I’ll have three pound each way on three !
Three’s not in the race sonny
It should be Dad !
HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY ( Tarrant style and he looks left to right )
As Gordon Gecko said…..greed is good, greed is right, greed works.
Lets turn it into the English equivalent of the Galway Festival because we all know how that hasn’t been diluted in quality racing on all days at all – of course the JC will need to add some flat races to the list (maybe even some guineas trials as well seeing as how the ground will be on the soft side of good).
Personally the Champion Hurdle, QMCC & Gold Cup will still be the heartbeat of the Festival and that won’t change but as for the the rest of it, will it end up turning into much of a muchness and losing that specialness of having a Festival winner? Sadly by the time the QC realise its mistake in continuing down this road the horse(s) will have well and truly bolted (pun intended).
I don’t want a fifth day, and feel that it will dilute the magic of the Festival further. But it is totally inevitable, so I’m not going to get too upset by it. What does irk me though is the “consultation”, which appears to be a thoroughly disingenuous exercise that clearly won’t give due weight to the full range of views held.
Same old story – pretend to listen to the traditionalist minority who love the sport, then make the commercial decision which “soaks the sockless” majority even more.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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