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It has been announced that 4 major jumps races have been boosted from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status.
Perhaps most notable among these is the Jewson Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, bringing the novice championship races in line with the Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and Gold Cup.
Also boosted to Grade 1 status are:
– Mildmay Novices’ Steeplechase (Aintree Festival)
– Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Aintree Festival)
– Bet365 Celebration Chase (Sandown April meeting)Do you think these changes are justified given the quality of horses who have won the races above?
Agree with the aintree ones but surprised about the celebration chase,hope sandown can now consistanly provide safe jumping ground for it. Would have liked to have seen the ascot hurdle and amlin chase upgraded and the betfair chase moved to a proper jumping track also still no grade one all-aged chase for Newbury I note.
Agree with the aintree ones but surprised about the celebration chase
Yes, me too as it seems to have dropped in quality in recent years. But maybe that’s the idea; make it better?
Mike
The Celebration is a funny one, in the past few years it has been one of the weakest Graded races of the season.
I’d very much like to read member BACHELLORS HALL’s opinion on this.
He has previously explained to me the Pattern Rating is based on the average OR of the first 4 home in the race.
I asked this when ultra-furious about my local course Beverley’s signature race, the Hilary Needler, losing Listed status.
Even in my relative ignorance I know this – The Jewson will (even) further dilute the quality of Chelts.
I’d very much like to read member BACHELLORS HALL’s opinion on this.
He has previously explained to me the Pattern Rating is based on the average OR of the first 4 home in the race.
I asked this when ultra-furious about my local course Beverley’s signature race, the Hilary Needler, losing Listed status.
Even in my relative ignorance I know this – The Jewson will (even) further dilute the quality of Chelts.
Codswallop.
The Celebration Chase has a quite prestigious roll of honour in recent times. Probably deserves to be a Grade 1
Celebration Chase winners
2001 – Edredon Bleu
2002 – Cenkos
2003 – Seebald
2004 – Cenkos
2005 – Well Chief
2006 – River City
2007 – Dempsey
2008 – Andreas
2009 – Twist Magic
2010 – I’m So Lucky
2011 – French Opera
2012 – Sanctuaire
2013 – Sire de GrugyOf those, in my opinion only Edredon Bleu, Well Chief, Twist Magic and arguably Cenkos and Dempsey could be seen as winners who justify the rise to Grade 1 status.
Sanctuaire may yet find a good race on a day without Sprinter Sacre, but the race has seemingly weakened in the last four renewals. This is an odd time to elevate the Celebration Chase.
I’d very much like to read member BACHELLORS HALL’s opinion on this.
He has previously explained to me the Pattern Rating is based on the average OR of the first 4 home in the race.
I asked this when ultra-furious about my local course Beverley’s signature race, the Hilary Needler, losing Listed status.
Even in my relative ignorance I know this – The Jewson will (even) further dilute the quality of Chelts.
Codswallop.
The Celebration Chase has a quite prestigious roll of honour in recent times. Probably deserves to be a Grade 1
Thanks for that constructive and factual response. In my defence, I didn’t even mention the Celebration Chase!
The Celebration Chase has both the name, place in the (UK) NH calendar and course to be promoted as an end of season hurrah for the Grade 1 two-milers, being about five weeks after Cheltenham; it would however have to vie with Punchestown’s Champion Chase for runners and I doubt they’re too happy with the upgrade
Perhaps they upgraded the Celebration Chase to justify being at Sandown on the same day as the latest low-class renewal of what was the Whitbread Gold Cup.
Unlike flat racing, where there is black type and stallion marketing brownie points to be won, does it matter a jot whether a jumps raxce is grade 1 or 2 or whatever?
Unlike flat racing, where there is black type and stallion marketing brownie points to be won, does it matter a jot whether a jumps raxce is grade 1 or 2 or whatever?
Bragging rights.
How do novice races receive G1 status? Isn’t G1 reserved for the very best horses running? In America a listed/graded stakes cannot have any restrictions besides age and sex.
Unlike flat racing, where there is black type and stallion marketing brownie points to be won, does it matter a jot whether a jumps raxce is grade 1 or 2 or whatever?
Grade 1, like Group 1 on the Flat, are races run on level weight-for-age terms i.e previous G1/G2 are not lumbered with the weight penalty that would be applied if running in another G2 or lesser race: generally speaking as the ‘conditions’ for individual subordinate pattern races are variable and do not follow a set rule
So from a black-type breeding perspective it may not matter a jot if a NH race is G1 or not but if one is eager to judge the top horses by running them against each other on level terms then G1 races fulfill this need
Without checking I’ve no idea what the current conditions for the four upgraded G2s under discussion are but if anyone fancies spending an idle hour or so correcting the adjusted weights of recent runnings to what they’d be under G1 level terms then the finishing order and/or distances might be different; if one, for the sake of this experiment, pays blind allegiance to handicapping pounds-per-length theory that is
Unlike flat racing, where there is black type and stallion marketing brownie points to be won, does it matter a jot whether a jumps raxce is grade 1 or 2 or whatever?
It may not be important in terms of stallions, but for pedigrees in general it is important. If every race was a grade 1 then reading the sales book would be a nightmare!
I’d very much like to read member BACHELLORS HALL’s opinion on this.
He has previously explained to me the Pattern Rating is based on the average OR of the first 4 home in the race.
I asked this when ultra-furious about my local course Beverley’s signature race, the Hilary Needler, losing Listed status.
Even in my relative ignorance I know this – The Jewson will (even) further dilute the quality of Chelts.
Codswallop.
The Celebration Chase has a quite prestigious roll of honour in recent times. Probably deserves to be a Grade 1
Thanks for that constructive and factual response. In my defence, I didn’t even mention the Celebration Chase!
The Celebration Chase was an unrelated comment, hence the gap.
Think I’m right in saying that the 3 novice races were level weights anyway and grade one winners carried just a 4lb penalty in the celebration chase
I welcome the ‘Jewson’ being uprated to a Grade 1 race as its now clearly ‘The race’ for 21/2m Novice chasers and connections will no longer feel their Jewson types are stuck between a rock (Arkle) and a Hard place (RSA),
Un Atout
clearly falls into the Jewson category.
I’ve never understood why the ‘Challow hurdle’ is a Grade 1 Novice hurdle race ran at a time horses are ‘in between’ their training programme.In all its 25yrs only 1 horse has won it that could be classed a genuine Grade 1 horse………..Denman
.It could be dropped to a Grade 2 for me!
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