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For those that like the Ryanair why aren’t you crying out for there to be a 2 1/2 mile hurdle?
And you were chuffed that we never got to see Vautour tackle Don Cossack or Sprinter Sacre?
If Don Cossack had stood up I think Vautour would have finished third in the King George. Given that Vautour had the run of the race it would be hard to argue with any degree of certainty that he would have improved on that position in a Gold Cup. Without the Ryanair option he almost certainly wouldn’t have run at last year’s Festival.
There isn’t the pool of horses to support a two and a half mile championship hurdle. Sadly, the Aintree Hurdle has become a Grade 1 race for Grade 2 horses. For many years in the golden era it was almost like a second Champion Hurdle.
I’ve redesigned the Cheltenham Festival with 4 days of 7 races per day
Championship Races – all Grade 1
2 mile hurdle
2.5 mile hurdle
3 mile hurdle
2 mile novice hurdle
2.5 mile novice hurdle
3 mile novice hurdle2 mile chase
2.5 mile chase
3 mile chase
4 mile chase
2 mile novice chase
2.5 mile novice chase
3 mile novice chase
4 mile novice chaseThe remaining 14 races would be handicaps in the same divisions as above, maybe 0-145 or lower for the novices
So I’d be doing away with Cross Country, Foxhunters, mares races, races for amateur or conditional jockeys
The Foxhunters could be moved to that Hunter Chase meeting they have in April (?)
Just do away with the Cross Country
the amateurs and conditional jockeys could take their chance in the open handicaps with their weight allowances
Mares could also run in championship races with their mares allowance if they were good enough or in the handicaps with their normal handicap mark
Races like the Foxhunters and Cross country add to the spectacle that is the festival.
For those that like the Ryanair why aren’t you crying out for there to be a 2 1/2 mile hurdle?
And you were chuffed that we never got to see Vautour tackle Don Cossack or Sprinter Sacre?
If Don Cossack had stood up I think Vautour would have finished third in the King George. Given that Vautour had the run of the race it would be hard to argue with any degree of certainty that he would have improved on that position in a Gold Cup. Without the Ryanair option he almost certainly wouldn’t have run at last year’s Festival.
There isn’t the pool of horses to support a two and a half mile championship hurdle. Sadly, the Aintree Hurdle has become a Grade 1 race for Grade 2 horses. For many years in the golden era it was almost like a second Champion Hurdle.
But the point is we’ve missed out on a lot of clashes, Vautour came alive in the Spring and we’ll now never know how he would have fared against Sprinter Sacre or Don Cossack. And I don’t subscribe to the Aintree Hurdle being a Grade 1 for Grade 2 horses, the past two years it’s been won by Champion Hurdlers (Annie Power/Jezki) and 2009 it was won by Solwhit who went on to win the World Hurdle. If there was no Ryanair and connections didn’t feel there horse was up to winning a Champion Chase or Gold Cup then they could run in the Plate and give weight to inferior opposition.
For those that like the Ryanair why aren’t you crying out for there to be a 2 1/2 mile hurdle?
And you were chuffed that we never got to see Vautour tackle Don Cossack or Sprinter Sacre?
If Don Cossack had stood up I think Vautour would have finished third in the King George. Given that Vautour had the run of the race it would be hard to argue with any degree of certainty that he would have improved on that position in a Gold Cup. Without the Ryanair option he almost certainly wouldn’t have run at last year’s Festival.
There isn’t the pool of horses to support a two and a half mile championship hurdle. Sadly, the Aintree Hurdle has become a Grade 1 race for Grade 2 horses. For many years in the golden era it was almost like a second Champion Hurdle.
But the point is we’ve missed out on a lot of clashes, Vautour came alive in the Spring and we’ll now never know how he would have fared against Sprinter Sacre or Don Cossack. And I don’t subscribe to the Aintree Hurdle being a Grade 1 for Grade 2 horses, the past two years it’s been won by Champion Hurdlers (Annie Power/Jezki) and 2009 it was won by Solwhit who went on to win the World Hurdle. If there was no Ryanair and connections didn’t feel there horse was up to winning a Champion Chase or Gold Cup then they could run in the Plate and give weight to inferior opposition.
There are many clashes that don’t happen but you really think that is all the fault of the Ryanair? I am sure there were just as many before the Ryanair existed.
Grade 1 horses don’t run in handicaps with any degree of frequency. The idea that all the genuine Grade 1 two and a half mile horses should all shuffle off into the Plate is laughable.
I dont understand the hostiility towards to cross country event at all. Its a very welcome spectacle and obviously adds a nice touch of variety
Im more or less in favour of the ryanair. There are just too many truly fine horses that cannot make what is a bit of a slog distance wise. If they dropped the GC back to 3m dead or even 2m 7f then there might be a case but it seems that too many seem to forget that its 3m 2f plus not the KGV distance
I am not in favour of dropping any races but i wouldnt want more. If one really had to go it would be the amateurs or mares race. I have no interest at all in weekend jockeys and the mars race is just very low quality for the grade
For those that like the Ryanair why aren’t you crying out for there to be a 2 1/2 mile hurdle?
And you were chuffed that we never got to see Vautour tackle Don Cossack or Sprinter Sacre?
If Don Cossack had stood up I think Vautour would have finished third in the King George. Given that Vautour had the run of the race it would be hard to argue with any degree of certainty that he would have improved on that position in a Gold Cup. Without the Ryanair option he almost certainly wouldn’t have run at last year’s Festival.
There isn’t the pool of horses to support a two and a half mile championship hurdle. Sadly, the Aintree Hurdle has become a Grade 1 race for Grade 2 horses. For many years in the golden era it was almost like a second Champion Hurdle.
But the point is we’ve missed out on a lot of clashes, Vautour came alive in the Spring and we’ll now never know how he would have fared against Sprinter Sacre or Don Cossack. And I don’t subscribe to the Aintree Hurdle being a Grade 1 for Grade 2 horses, the past two years it’s been won by Champion Hurdlers (Annie Power/Jezki) and 2009 it was won by Solwhit who went on to win the World Hurdle. If there was no Ryanair and connections didn’t feel there horse was up to winning a Champion Chase or Gold Cup then they could run in the Plate and give weight to inferior opposition.
There are many clashes that don’t happen but you really think that is all the fault of the Ryanair? I am sure there were just as many before the Ryanair existed.
Grade 1 horses don’t run in handicaps with any degree of frequency. The idea that all the genuine Grade 1 two and a half mile horses should all shuffle off into the Plate is laughable.
No you missed my point. I’m not saying they should all run in the Plate, they should either run in the Champion Chase or Gold Cup and if they are not that good they still have the option of the handicaps. And the fact that you believe Grade 1 horses shouldn’t run in handicaps is one of the biggest shames about modern NH racing. Arkle, Flyingbolt, Mill House, Golden Miller, Mandarin, L’Escargot, Borough Hill Lad, Crisp, Desert Orchid, Denman were all brilliant horses who proved they were brilliant horses by carrying top weight in the biggest handicaps to victory and that should be encouraged not discouraged.
Are we talking from a betting point of view or a spectacle point of view?
Surely the Cross Country and the Foxhunters are good to watch but not necessarily bet in but that shouldn’t be the criteria here.
The criteria should be that all races should produce a good test and a good winner and the more clas horses we get actually running at Cheltenham the better and if the Ryanair and the Mares Hurdle and even the JLT allow trainers to target Cheltenham and we as viewers get to see more top class horses than we would otherwise!!Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
For those that like the Ryanair why aren’t you crying out for there to be a 2 1/2 mile hurdle?
And you were chuffed that we never got to see Vautour tackle Don Cossack or Sprinter Sacre?
If Don Cossack had stood up I think Vautour would have finished third in the King George. Given that Vautour had the run of the race it would be hard to argue with any degree of certainty that he would have improved on that position in a Gold Cup. Without the Ryanair option he almost certainly wouldn’t have run at last year’s Festival.
There isn’t the pool of horses to support a two and a half mile championship hurdle. Sadly, the Aintree Hurdle has become a Grade 1 race for Grade 2 horses. For many years in the golden era it was almost like a second Champion Hurdle.
But the point is we’ve missed out on a lot of clashes, Vautour came alive in the Spring and we’ll now never know how he would have fared against Sprinter Sacre or Don Cossack. And I don’t subscribe to the Aintree Hurdle being a Grade 1 for Grade 2 horses, the past two years it’s been won by Champion Hurdlers (Annie Power/Jezki) and 2009 it was won by Solwhit who went on to win the World Hurdle. If there was no Ryanair and connections didn’t feel there horse was up to winning a Champion Chase or Gold Cup then they could run in the Plate and give weight to inferior opposition.
There are many clashes that don’t happen but you really think that is all the fault of the Ryanair? I am sure there were just as many before the Ryanair existed.
Grade 1 horses don’t run in handicaps with any degree of frequency. The idea that all the genuine Grade 1 two and a half mile horses should all shuffle off into the Plate is laughable.
No you missed my point. I’m not saying they should all run in the Plate, they should either run in the Champion Chase or Gold Cup and if they are not that good they still have the option of the handicaps. And the fact that you believe Grade 1 horses shouldn’t run in handicaps is one of the biggest shames about modern NH racing. Arkle, Flyingbolt, Mill House, Golden Miller, Mandarin, L’Escargot, Borough Hill Lad, Crisp, Desert Orchid, Denman were all brilliant horses who proved they were brilliant horses by carrying top weight in the biggest handicaps to victory and that should be encouraged not discouraged.
I think you are splitting hairs in that you are saying these horses should either run in a race that doesn’t suit or a handicap which isn’t going to happen.
You obviously don’t remember but I have argued more than anyone on here for a throwback to the ‘old days’ when good horses did run in handicaps. Sadly, those days are gone forever and we have to accept the current structure and that isn’t limiting horses who just happen to very good at a specific distance.
Mares Novice Hurdle .
A race which doesn’t even begin to interest me , let alone excite me .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Mares Novice Hurdle for me too. The Mares Hurdle has been bad enough, with only the WPM runners papering over the cracks, but the introduction of The Mares Novices was just baffling.
I was opposed to the 4 Day Festival, but even as a harsh critic, I would have to say I’m quite comfortable with it now, though we are at saturation point with regards to any further planned races.
I always get annoyed with The Ryanair getting singled out, as it’s quickly become one of my favourite races of The Festival, and not sure it detracts from The Gold Cup at all, and has in it’s own right became one of the most competitive G1’s of the season, with continual top notch line ups. If any race has suffered since the introduction of the 4 day festival, then I would suggest The RSA, though that may have a lot to do with the change in conditions of The National Hunt Chase, rather than the introduction of The JLT.
Each to their own though, and if you enjoy The Mares Novices, good luck to you………..I’m more concerned that they add anything else
Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
Completely agree. No bumper should carry black type/championship status.
I would add more support for The Ryanair, really enjoy it, and always won by a good animal, but I would also be willing to give the mares Novices a bit more time, it’s too early to call.
I would not be looking to get rid of any races, but if I really had to, then The Fred Winter.
Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
Completely agree. No bumper should carry black type/championship status.
Why? It does what is on the tin, year after year it is one of the best ‘form’ races of the week. As well as providing a launch pad for plenty of good horses it has produced spectacular performances with the likes of Cue Card and Dunguib.
Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
The bumper is the race with the highest quality when it comes to producing future winners and champions. No other race on the planet produces more future quality than the Festival Bumper. In case that you’ve found one, please let me know.
The biggest crap in my opinion with no importance at all is the Triumph Hurdle. That’s the first race I’d get rid of. How many Festival Chase winners have come out of that race in the past 25 years if you consider the first three horses in the race?Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
The bumper is the race with the highest quality when it comes to producing future winners and champions. No other race on the planet produces more future quality than the Festival Bumper. In case that you’ve found one, please let me know.
The biggest crap in my opinion with no importance at all is the Triumph Hurdle. That’s the first race I’d get rid of. How many Festival Chase winners have come out of that race in the past 25 years if you consider the first three horses in the race?If I had to get rid of one, I’d get rid of the triumph too
Personally (and I know this might be contraversial ) I would get rid of the bumper!! It is a jumps meeting and I want to see horses jump not run around on the flat!!
The bumper is the race with the highest quality when it comes to producing future winners and champions. No other race on the planet produces more future quality than the Festival Bumper. In case that you’ve found one, please let me know.
The biggest crap in my opinion with no importance at all is the Triumph Hurdle. That’s the first race I’d get rid of. How many Festival Chase winners have come out of that race in the past 25 years if you consider the first three horses in the race?If I had to get rid of one, I’d get rid of the triumph too
That would make the Supreme more competitive as well.
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