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Certainly not as special in recent years. It’s spoiled by constant reference’s to Cheltenham whenever a horse wins a novice hurdle or chase. Just enjoy each race on its merits. Paisley Park winning again was as good as any Cheltenham race. Gosh en storming home was superb. We should only look at Cheltenham a couple of weeks before it. Thete isn’t this obsession on the flat with the Derby or Royal ascot and its better for it. Class comes and goes but there is definitely a dearth just now in the hurdling division and the gold Cup has no outstanding contenders.
I’ll enjoy the festival but let’s just stop going on about it for months.The time may come when we get a match race with a 1/6 shot in an Arkle or Supreme. Maybe it would take that to convince the decision-makers they have royally ballsed things up. Last years horrible Supreme should have started the process of the cogs turning.
BUY THE SUN
The viewing is actually poor. Its no Sandown or even Ascot. Sandown is a superior jumps course in every way
And even with my annual attendances at Cheltenham , no race is as exciting live for me as the KGV at Kempton. The sheer pace and intensity of it
Newbury is a little far back but compensated by very nice stands and a knowledgable crowd. Always feel nice and relaxed and at home there
Also there are some right prats at the festival. One year we had one bloke in the stand shouting “Faugheen the machine” over and over and over. Every ******* race.
Until I crept up behind him and quietly inserted a ice pick into his upper spinal column.
And who else gets irked by groups going mental because they’ve backed a 4/6 shot with a fiver?
I know which tweet we’re talking about. I do think many need to wake up , and take their heads out of the sand. It’s not just Cheltenham, I really think NH is in trouble.
Adding more races just dilutes the programme; do we really need races at every distance? Aintree already had a 2m4f Gd 1 Chase, the Melling. It also had a 3m Nov Hdle, the Sefton – why did Cheltenham add their own? Imagine if they add a 2m4f Gd1 Hdle – really…..???
I suspect people are hoping it’s cyclical, and things will improve – but I fear it’s a trend – and action is needed. Similarly, something needs happening to the 2m Hdle division….but won’t.
Financially , 4 days may be a success – but as a competitive sport, I’m not sure – and 5 days will seriously damage it. Royal Ascot over 5 days works, as Flat racing is the international sport, and far more horses to find races for.
Please, I do not want to hear ‘the Olympics of Jump racing’ as it simply isn’t; unless the Olympics add a 300m sprint, or 800m Hdles….
‘Until I crept up behind him and quietly inserted a ice pick into his upper spinal column.’
How very Communist of you. They did have one good idea at least.
“For a 1m4f circuit they don’t half seem to get a long way away once out in the country.”
That is my memory of the place. As you say, it is great to look at. Perhaps only Goodwood has a better backdrop. But even trying to follow horses through binoculars at Cheltenham is difficult. At least there is the big screen nowadays but it always seem a waste of time to go to a track, stand in the main stand and then watch it on television.
I was there on Gold Cup day in 1991. There was no big screen then. I watched the big race in a stand that was some way beyond the finishing post. Due to the angle, I was convinced The Fellow had easily beaten Garrison Savannah!
Only the National course at Aintree is worse for spectators. Unlike the Mildmay course, which is very good.
I completely agree with ALL of that.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“And who else gets irked by groups going mental because they’ve backed a 4/6 shot with a fiver?”
My favourite moment with that sort of crowd was at Wimbledon dogs. It was the TV Trophy final (the race which used to be on “Sportsnight”), which involved two and a bit circuits of the track, meaning they would go past the winning post three times.
A group of the “Let’s all drink 10 pints of lager and shout at the top of our voices” crowd were delighted when their selection pinged out in front. He was still there when they went past the post the second time. They all started wildly celebrating. I tapped one of them on the shoulder and advised him there was still another circuit to go.
The wild celebrations stopped, especially when their selection began to fade and the favourite stormed through to win, to the delight of the rest of the crowd.
The likely lads slipped away quietly towards the exit…
I can only see the two mile hurdle division getting worse. I do not believe it is cyclical.
Flat horses do not need to go hurdling now, thanks to a better all weather programme and more international racing.
I don’t think that’s what the A/W was intended for; Listed/Gp horses running on the A/W….
They’ve effectively harmed one division of the sport, for another. What are they going to do to address this? Shrug their shoulders…..From memory, Alderbrook only went hurdling when there were doubts about the fancied horses, and his owner thought it was worth a go….having not long won a Gp2 at Longchamps during the Arc weekend.
Back in October a fairly prominent presenter suggested seeing a decent flat horse or two going hurdling as the competition (apart from Honeysuckle) wasn’t up to much. As expected, it hasn’t happened……
I`ve not been to any meeting there since about 2014. I coughed up a small amount to be a bondholder for the redevelopment but I’ve never seen the new structure. It’s one of my more local tracks but inconvenient to get to. Cleeve Hill is a nice backdrop but once seen a few times there might as well be a slagheap there.
I don’t think that ‘smashing uphill finish’ rewards good jumping. The viewing is quite poor (although the Best Mate was fair value at least) and I rarely felt comfortable there. I used to consider the April meeting but not since the 2nd day went mares only.
I wouldn’t want festival tickets even as a gift or competition prize now. You know it’s rarely worth second/ third tier mainland trainers bothering to make festival entries now. You’re unlikely to see a horse you think looks a decent prospect round the provincial tracks turning up with any chance at all.
I’m still pleased to see the festival on TV but that’s about it.
Really good points. Yes tatling. A match would shake things up a lot and I can see it happening soon
Mickey spot on but the last comment aa out it not really being a good jumping course is correct. It’s why the kgv remains the number one staying chase for me. Those three kempton fences quickly on good ground in the straight are the real genuine test
If the Champion Hurdle division is so weak, why don’t those superstars Shiskin and Emergumene not have a go at it; the prize-money is so much better….
Because they’re not “superstars” they’re very decent 2m chasers rated 177 and 175 who would have to almost run to their Chase marks to beat a mare rated 165 on actual hurdles form who would be getting 7lb off them.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Cheltenham is affecting other meeting to their detriment. The gold Cup at the Dublin racing festival was minus most of the top 3m chasers,the King George was missing many too. As Stuart Broad says regards the cricket just try and win what’s in front of you not months down the line. How many horses end up missing it anyway due to mishaps,ground etc. The new one ran in everything and is much loved for it. Maybe get more top group ones in the calendar might be the answer but I fear it will take a while to change mindset of not having a proper race before Cheltenham. Night nurse,monksfield,sea pigeon. We were blessed to see a real hurdle battle more than once a year. Whisper it maybe horses might improve with more proper races. Just an idea.🤣
And I’m still of them view ian that when you have a decent animal you don’t continually flip them between hurdles and chases. Yes some do but it’s not often the Henderson and Mullins way and they seem to know what they are doing
I tend to agree, Clive.
If you’ve got a quality Handicap Chaser with the option to return to hurdling off a lower mark, sure, for it.
But switching Grade 1 horses that have been nurtured down that novice hurdle>novice Chase>champion chase route over three years?
They could run in the Champion Hurdle, get beat conceding the 7lb, and mess up three years preparation and a whole chase career.
You just don’t mess horses of that quality about.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I still think it’s holding on.
I used to book as holiday the afternoon’s Tuesday-Thursday. We still have the Champion hurdle on Tuesday, the Gold Cup has shifted one day to Friday so not too much change for change’s sake.
For the amount of people still attracted to this big meeting held midweek, it makes you wonder if other changes like the Derby from Wednesday to Saturday was justified. What have been the benefits there, it was always packed out.
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