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I don’t know if you saw but Cheltenham are planning, in the future, to have a Grand National trial during the Festival now that both they and Aintree have struck a deal to extend the gap between meetings. The new race will be over 3m 7f because apparently more horses die if they run that extra furlong that would bring the race up to four miles
What utter crap.And then of course there is the more important question to answer when eventually this race is included and that is – what the hell have Uttoxeter done to upset Cheltenham? If this comes about what on Earth will happen to the Midlands National? It a ludicrous plan. I love my marathon chases more than anything but to introduce one that will have an adverse effect on another is not in my opinion very welcome.
There, I’ve got it off my spleen.
Its not just that KC.
I thought there were 3 GN trials at the Festival already – the Gold Cup, the William Hill Trophy and the Cross-Country Chase. And that’s not including the NH Chase, for the likes of Nine de Sivola
.I saw this proposal last week, and didn’t want to give it the oxygen of publicity.
Is there actually a possibility that it might happen THIS season?
Gerald
Cheltenham used to stage a perfectly good National trial – a 4M handicap chase on New Years Day. That race was quietly dropped a few years ago with minimum publicity.
You would hope that the race planning dept would veto any attempt to duplicate the Midlands National, but given the way in which Cheltenham have been allowed in recent years to undermine the Grade 1 races at Aintree by duplicating them, I wouldn’t bet on the authorities favouring Northern Racing over them.
As an aside, the festival already has a 3m 7f chase that has produced one National winner and might produce another this year – if, of course, you consider the Ever Decreasing Circles Garden Centre Handicap as a proper chase.
Cheltenham have already admitted today that overall prize money for the 2010 Festival will be down on this year’s.
So where is the dosh for the new race gonna come from?
Cheltenham just want to have everything and rule the world….
Uttoxeter used to have a really good novice hurdle in Feb – won by Monsignor, Iris’s Gift etc., but Cheltenham nicked it; Dipper Nov Chase at Newcastle, again nicked by Chelt to bolster New Years Day card. Northern Racing have been only too happy to give up the crown jewels – after all they don’t give tuppence about the racing as long as people swill as much lager as they can pump.
If they stage a 4 miler at the festival I think the Midlands National would need to move to late April. Where I’m sure it used to be in the early 80’s.
Indeed it did, Grey, under its dual title of the Midlands National and the Jack Carter Memorial Chase.
Not the easiest development to condone, this, for the precise reason KC stated – I certainly approve of there being more marathon chases, but rather better spaced out throughout the calendar.
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.
Exactly Grey.
Cheltenham will be after the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle prep at Haydock pretty soon – they’ll just run two of them in the January meeting.
For a racecourse that couldn’t even organise a crowd properly at the Paddy Power meeting the BHA seem to bend over backwards to give them whatever they want.
I myself would be in favour of an Aintree trial at Cheltenham. There could be a bonus for any winner to go on to National glory. At least it might persuade trainers not to run good staying chasers over hurdles.
It would be a much better addition than the Albert Bartlett, which just enables novice staying hurdlers to avoid each other. I’d like to see the x-country chase replaced, does not have enough quality, but can’t see that happening.
When there is any new race there are other races to suffer. The Ryanair has meant a downgrading of the Mildmay Of Flete, Champion Chase and Gold Cup. The quality of the Mildmay of Flete has reduced due to would be top weights (Fondmortesq) transferring. With obvious second fav in the Champion Voy Por and several outsiders from the Gold Cup, going elsewhere. I’d say a National trial would not effect as many races as others. The Midlands National could go back to its original position.
It might take one or two away from the William Hill, Halcon Genelardais from the Gold Cup, but would probably be a better quality race than either the Fulke Walwyn or x-country.
Mark
Value Is EverythingIRISH STAMP….cheltenham already have the 3mile bristol novices hurdle so would think haydock prestige novice hurdle is safe,though haydock did nick the rendelsham hurdle from kempton. talking of haydock il be interested to see if they move the betfair chase from haydock to a proper chase course that dosent have trolly fences and a hairpin home turn.
I don’t get what people have against the new fences. The complaints about the old ones were that they were too stiff, if a horse hits them they go flying etc. now there’s the new style fences (i’m not a fan personally but each to their own).
The only real alternative for the Betfair Chase at that time is Aintree the following day (or have Aintree as a two day meeting with the Grand Sefton nd Betfair Chase on one day and the Becher the next) though this would inevitably lead to the demise of yet another top jumps circuit.
Returning to the thread . . . .
there is yet another GN trial at the Festival.
The favourite no less, Butlers Cabin, has an entry in the Kim Muir.
The idea of a 3m7f race at the festival is totally stupid.
Uttoxeter would suffer with the Midlands Grand National but given their atitude in getting rid of top class cards they would probably replace it with a seller.
The William Hill,Kim Muir,Cross Country and the NH Chase are quality races in their own right and this race would not fit in.
Ideally you could have a 3m4f novices handicap for horses that did not make the cut for the 4m chase and maybe restrict it to conditonals.
If Cheltenham do want a new race then why not a 3m7f Cross Country Hunter Chase or maybe do something really unique and run a 3m Flat race like the original festival used to be at the beginning or why not run the Kiplingscote Derby instead.
The idea of a 3m7f race at the festival is totally stupid.
Uttoxeter would suffer with the Midlands Grand National but given their atitude in getting rid of top class cards they would probably replace it with a seller.
The William Hill,Kim Muir,Cross Country and the NH Chase are quality races in their own right and this race would not fit in.
Ideally you could have a 3m4f novices handicap for horses that did not make the cut for the 4m chase and maybe restrict it to conditonals.
If Cheltenham do want a new race then why not a 3m7f Cross Country Hunter Chase or maybe do something really unique and run a 3m Flat race like the original festival used to be at the beginning or why not run the Kiplingscote Derby instead.
Agree about there being no need for the proposed National Trial. On the point about a Cross Country Hunter chase. Most hunters that would run in that would be Irish as there are no cross country points anymore in this country (except the Flagg Moor members) and those from the Team chasing/Hunt rides would not be good enough. I just don’t think it would have that much support in relation to the Foxhunters which is seen as the Gold Cup of the Hunter Chasing world unless the ran the Foxhunters over the cross country course (the race was originally over 4 miles well into the seventies).
This story has dipped under my radar, but if I was a trainer with a horse that held an engagement in the Grand National, I would not consider for one second running it over 3m7f at Cheltenham three weeks prior to Liverpool.
The idea of the 3m7f H’cap Chase has been squashed by Gillespie, apparently after he received a phone call from Uttoxeter.
However, he is still keen to add two more races to the Cheltenham Festival, and the bookmakers are fully behind this.
Any ideas anyone?
My idea is to have a 1m4f NHF race for unraced 4yos – they could call it the Derbyshire.
Could have a Conditionals Gold Cup over 2m4f or 3m and call it something like the Lord Vestey Chase or the Best Mate Chase.
A 1m4f NHF might be interesting as a few flat yard with high quality but unraced horses could be having a run and you could even run a qualifier on the AW or in Dubai.
What utter crap.
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