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Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie admits the idea of switching the Festival meeting to a weekend remains on the table.
The March showpiece fixture currently runs from Tuesday to Friday but Gillespie believes the meeting could be moved after the course has been redeveloped.
He outlined plans for improvements at the track at a press conference marking the run-up to Cheltenham’s 2011/12 season, which gets under way on Saturday week.
“Our plans going forward include the potential redevelopment here,” said Gillespie.
“Since May we have commissioned a team of designers to come up with what we call a feasibility study and the report is in next week.
“I have been putting together with our team the business case for this. These will go to our board before the end of this year.
“So early next year we hope to give you good news of when we might be progressing these plans, which will enable the racegoers to have better vantage points from redeveloping the oldest grandstands at Cheltenham.
“We think we have a plan which will be appropriate for the next generation.
“We are looking forward to having the redevelopment completed within the next three to five years. Along with that, we will be able to talk about the possibility of the Festival moving to a weekend.”
Gillespie also confirmed prize money for the Grade One events at the Festival will be on a par with last season, with all races due to meet their minimum requirements.
He added: “Our investment in prize money is something we are focusing on coming into this season.
“Our executive and sponsorship contribution this year will amount to £3.35 million. Sponsorship stands at a record £3.1 million.
“Despite Levy Board cuts, every one of our 46 races by the end of December will be tariff compliant.”
Is this lad for real?
I was reading in the RP that they are even toying with the idea of incorporating a soccer stadium into their redevelopment plans.
I think before people start jumping on their backs it would be a good idea to see what the plans were. They might actually be very good.
Every course in the country should be thinking about how they can incorporate other income generating ventures onto their sites. If Cheltenham think a football stadium works for them then good luck to them.
I presume that the redevelopment involves a significant increase in attendance capacity so allowing the fixture to be moved to a weekend.
Every course in the country should be thinking about how they can incorporate other income generating ventures onto their sites. If Cheltenham think a football stadium works for them then good luck to them.
I don’t disagree in theory. Cheltenham Town FC’s current Whaddon Road ground is 79 years old and possessive of a capacity which barely grazes 7,000 all told. That capacity was the smallest in its league during 2007-8 and 2008-9, two of the three seasons the club spent in League One. A bigger stadium on a bigger, different site would not go amiss.
What I can’t quite visualise at this remove, however, is where on Prestbury
Park
itself they could put a bigger stadium than the current one. There’s certainly not enough space in the infield or in the general public areas, and I think I’d be right in saying the field behind the tented village (but still on the racecourse side of the main road) is not wide enough, either.
I guess that would leave the car parks on the other side of the road from most customer entrances, but I’m not sure I’d want to advocate that lightly.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
i suspect the stadium would be built on some of the car parking space just like the housing development at newbury.
Every course in the country should be thinking about how they can incorporate other income generating ventures onto their sites. If Cheltenham think a football stadium works for them then good luck to them.
I presume that the redevelopment involves a significant increase in attendance capacity so allowing the fixture to be moved to a weekend.
I don’t like the sound of the first part at all. Now I know Cheltenham FC are not one of the more fashionable teams but during the winter they tend to play most Saturday afternoons. Would they have a home match and a big race meeting on the same Saturday ? And if there were issues with regard to holding both on the same day who would you expect to have to change, the football club or the racecourse ?
With regard to the second point, I think you are correct however I can’t understand this obsession with the weekend or more to the point Saturdays. I look forward much more to the times I can go racing in the week because I’m having a day off. Still, as long as they leave the cabbage patch alone…….
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