Cheltenham Festival announce major changes from 2025!

[@Kevin-lf4xx]

Only hope for it is to go back to three days , then we will get the atmosphere back.

[@stewartross5216]

I agree. 4 days is too long. there's just too many races and after the third day people just lose interest because it's such a big event for the first few days. I don't know why they never do it on a Friday, Saturday Sunday. you could arrange it for another time. it doesn't have to be the same time of the year. maybe you do it on a bank holiday earlier or later in the season, but if it can't be arranged, why can't they do a Friday Saturday Sunday? I've never understood that. put it on a Friday a Saturday a Sunday. it would be perfect because you could arrange to have children minded by grandparents or family members that aren't into horse racing and it would be no school so it would be perfect. I don't understand why it's always middle of the week. anyways. I'm sure they don't give a crap but I think

[@stephenholmes1036]

Correct quality over quantity

[@shaunoconnor1979]

Don’t talk stupid no way should it be 3 days

[@stephenholmes1036]

Cheltenham started to believe it's own publicity and got very greedy. My idea go back to 3 days! Quality before quantity and costs my annual membership at Plumpton is £215 , 18 good meetings and 45 reciprocal. Cheltenham tickets are £120 a day members I believe? Food and drink vastly overpriced and you can't spend cash. Punches town festival is better and good meetings at Sandown with far better viewing. Treat your customers with respect and go back to 3 days of quality.

[@theracingdemon3141]

I don't find the Cheltenham Festival to be as exciting as it used to be. Big mistake to try to force championship races... races like the Arkle, Sun Alliance, and the Supreme and what is now known as the Gallagher used to attract bumper fields. The onset of the three mares' races has diluted the Supreme, Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

[@shanejlee]

The changes are definitely needed. It's not the answer watching 10 uncompetitive G1's with the best not racing each other. Agree with Kevin whole heartedly. If the chase division benefits this coming season then the hurdles have to follow next year.

[@stewartross5216]

The food is shit absolutely zero customer service. everything is priced up to insane numbers it's this corporate now. last year was the worst 95% of the people. this is there for a piss up. it's a chance to meet girls and boys it's like a frat party now... all these fights and brawls and stuff. it's a joke

[@stephenholmes1036]

Well said

[@MrUmpalumpa99]

Was the talk last year not about absurd prices of tickets, food/drink & accommodation? Yet this year, tickets will stay the same price as last year & a pint of Guinness has gone up to £7.80. How is freezing the ticket prices to last years price being played off as a success? They were already way overpriced last year. They’re acting as if every year there should be in increase in the price of tickets. It’s becoming a joke

[@madforit2]

Inability to use cash as well another joke

[@michaelmulhall5007]

They never bring this bang on point up. People are sick of 7.80 a guiness 10 pound a burger. People have had enough

[@TheFoxpitt]

Cheltenham started to lose its lustre since the Irish invasion stopped due to escalating costs. Ironically, that's when the Irish trainers started to dominate. I've been going since the mid 90s and the Irish punters made the atmosphere. Now there are very few standing next to me. That's the real issue!

[@markperryman2311]

Last Cheltenham was appalling overall

[@formerarcadian8167]

It’s too expensive for what it is full stop! Talksport say it’s brilliant cause they’re all on freebies.

[@johndonnelly3135]

I don’t think moving the deck chairs on the Titanic would of saved it, the same as the changes here are not going to save Cheltenham. We could be looking at a Cheltenham where the Gold Cup won’t have an English trained runner.

[@frankbrennan1619]

Peak Cheltenham has been & gone as attendance figures testify....

[@michaelmulhall5007]

Much much bigger problems than that. Race too much in England everyone says it no does anything about it

[@jonathanmatthews825]

Even the Grand National has the same problem. Half the field were trained by Mullins, Elliot and De Bromhead!

[@johndonnelly3135]

@@jonathanmatthews825 yeah the quality of horses both flat and national hunt have hit rock bottom in the UK which is a bigger problem than the cost.

[@112sje]

Have Mares only races during the season but not at the Festival. Over the years, the likes of Quevega, Annie Power, Epatante and Honeysuckle have been tempted away from too many Champion or Stayers' Hurdles. We all love Dawn Run for doing the Champion Hurdle/Gold Cup double(I watch the Festival in her stand in the Best Mate enclosure), but where should she have run in the mid 1980s if these soft options had been available ?

[@johnlawler6476]

Not good for amateur riders but the rest of the changes seem right

[@Whatsgoingon0798]

National hunt has eaten itself with the B all and End all being the festival. They should have races for trainers who have only won a certain amount of prize money. Let their stale stars have the odd races over the season to win some decent prize money, which they can pump back in! People have got onto the fact that the paying punter has been taken advantage of for years and now we have had enough. I go to the october meeting and the November meeting! I stay away from the festival!

[@johndonnelly3135]

@@Whatsgoingon0798 stop making sense on social media it’s not allowed.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Good commonsense response, sadly the BHA and JC are ran by people who know nothing about horses. They know the cost of everything and the value of nothing

[@Hugh-nr5sx]

Hang on a number of Champion Hurdlers prefer the 2m4f Novice to the Supreme. I'm really not sure about losing the Turner's. Do we really want to see both the Novice Chases on the Old Course (the Go Kart track). One race I have always hated is the 3m Novice Chase RSA back in the day I think it is a totally unsuitable for potential Gold Cup horses. The great thing about the Turner's is that it was on the New Course and a perfect stepping stone to the Ryanair or GC the following year. And remember.. very few horses properly stay the 3m2f110yds.

[@jamesrussell1979]

Very interesting 👌 👍 🤔

[@carolmorgan5614]

Cheltenham has lost its magic & prestige its just another meeting now

[@lean2281]

Absolute bullock's

[@mervyncharter]

But they should have also adjusted or removed the Mares Hurdle to ensure the top Mares go to either the Champion Hurdle or Stayers Hurdle

[@OnTheBridle-sh5ef]

The Mares Hurdle was created so Mares who wouldn't normally be able to compete with the geldings could have their own division, Ignore recent times when Mares have won the Champion hurdle due to bad opposition, The record for Mares against the geldings is very bad indeed hence why they needed their own race, Take that away and what would be the point in keeping a mare in training?

[@saskew8573]

@@OnTheBridle-sh5ef No, the mares programme was designed to encourage trainers and owners to put and keep more mares in racing. It has excelled in it's objective to the extent that Mares have won 4/9 Champion Hurdles. Clearly showing that good mares can be very competitive against geldings with the allowance. I don't think anyone would have ever suggested getting rid of the mares races altogether, just changing the conditions or moving them to a month earlier on trials day or later in the programme perhaps. This would at least provide more opportunity to see the best mares consistently turning up in the Champion hurdle, and making races better. This years example Kevin cited is a prime example of why the current format doesn't work perfectly.

[@steffanrosser7250]

Why would you want more handicaps theres already to many

[@robertcurtis-c1h]

i love how so called pundits think getting some races changed and making them conpetative (you mean extra hard to pick winners in fact) why just not make every race 40+ runners and if dont get filled then have reserves or say to trainers and owners the prize fund will drop because it is far to easy to win this race,iIf it is to hard to pick horses i rather not have a bet and wait for my days i can place football acc's on my banker teams that WILL be odds on and enjoy my self for more than throwing my money away on a race i have 80% of picking wrong horses.If puters think about ante post betting a bit more then some of these so good short things can be bet at bigger prices,the way it looks cheltenham just be a watch with very little betting from me .i am not large better but i start year early via ante post and place £2000-£5000 i could have muliple horses in races but with these changes FLUTTER could be right uk horse racing is not for everyone and sports betting is much eaiser.......

[@markjefferies435]

Ed Chamberlain why does he stick up for Cheltenham ( maybe self interest)?????.He then knocked the Dublin festival that meeting is of a higher quality than Cheltenham and a more comfortable and affordable product.The Festival changes they have made are pretty uninspiring to be honest ruined the Pipe race the 3.6 race now is a total car crash.And making horses to have to run five times before March is madness five runs from October/ March how many of those horses will have top class longevity.Hope i am wrong love Cheltenham but these changes just paper over the cracks.

[@calvinaitkin-sf9up]

Biggest change needed,,,,British trained winners.

[@frankbrennan1619]

But British trainers never ever get asked why they're overall so crap when it comes to the Willie Mullins Festival, so instead make changes to make life more difficult for him....

[@michaelmulhall5007]

@@frankbrennan1619What an odd crazy comment. Make changes to get one trainer beaten ? How about get better ? No one says anything about o brien on the flat who does the same

[@Hugh-nr5sx]

Personally I have never liked novices in big Open races especially handicaps.

[@markperryman2311]

Racing is getting boring

[@stephenholmes1036]

So badly ran

[@madforit2]

Because the novice hurdle horses are far less exposed than the novice chases. The mares novice hurdlers almost would never compete with the geldings. The Albert Bartlett always has a big field with big priced favs with consistency big price winners. So the supreme and ballymore/gallaghers are the only ones with smaller fields but this could be down to variance of recent years, smaller horse pool etc. Changes are good, the increased runs required in handicaps another good move and I'd leave the novice hurdles as is.

[@SarahRichardson-x2g]

Kevin u hve no idea boy and far from an expert 😅 lord above where would yea be if yea weren't stuck to Joseph' o brien s hip no other yard and definitely any good trainer won't hve u around them clueless with money your tips are brilliant also 😅 I'd say he's dream was to train but brains not there unfortunately 😢

[@stephenc6062]

He must have dumped you..🤷‍♂️🤨

[@gerrymcguire7382]

Has Kevin stole your pocket money. No good trainer would have him around surely makes Joseph a numpty?

[@Knappogue]

Disgusting

[@SarahRichardson-x2g]

Of all the racing people in ire and eng alone with acc valuable knowledge about good horses / trainers out of all them they pick kevin Blake 😁😁🙈 no wonder the sport is fecked tday the man is clueless and repeats everything Joseph mentioned 😅

[@johndonnelly3135]

@@SarahRichardson-x2g be careful not to choke on those sour grapes 🍇 Kevin bought you for Valentine’s Day.