Blogs and Articles: Cheltenham Festival 2024

Do We Need A Five Day Cheltenham Festival?



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So the debate has been raging since the Chairman of Cheltenham Racecourse said:

“I wouldn’t rule anything in, but I wouldn’t rule anything out...”

Martin St Quinton, newly appointed Chairman of Cheltenham Racecourse, gave his answer when ITV Racing anchor Ed Chamberlain quizzed him on the possibility of extending The Cheltenham Festival from the customary four days in March, to five days in future years.

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The possibility has certainly riled plenty of National Hunt Racing enthusiasts on social media, as you might expect, as well as some high profile racing personalities. Overall very few have been supportive of the idea.

"LESS IS MORE"?

Matt Chapman echoes the widely supported notion that “less is more” in his column for The Sun believing that the Cheltenham Festival is already diluted, in terms of quality horses participating. He also suggests that new races like The Ryanair Chase (introduced as part of the new four day Festival in 2005) have perhaps undermined races like the Champion Chase and Gold Cup.

TOO MANY ODDS ON FAVOURITES?

However, a Guardian newspaper sports blog published this week approached the subject from a betting perspective. It made the interesting point that since the Cheltenham Festival extended to four days, the number of odds-on favourites has increased. 

This means that top class horses are not having to necessarily take on other top class horses at the Festival. An increase in races, without the quality and number of top horses increasing at the same rate (an almost impossible feat when an extra day would adds 20% more races from one year to the next), means the quality is diluted across the races.

The top horses that we all want to see tested can end up competing as odds-on favourites, while the horses we want to see test those top horses end up running as favourites in their own race. Fans of boxing know all too well the feeling of top match-ups taking years to happen, but at Cheltenham historically there is meant to be no hiding place.

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Not only that, the odds are also shortening. In recent Festivals favourites have gone off at odds as short as 1/4 and 2/9 (however we must point out that not all of those were victorious...)

A fifth day would ultimately increase the possibility of more Championship races having very short priced favourites. Trainers would also potentially be able to avoid matching their horses up against talented and proven horses, but still enter high quality races.

MORE HANDICAPS

Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins is also against the idea as the extension would probably mean more handicap class races which would ultimately devalue the Cheltenham Festival. Eddie O’Leary also weighed in for Gigginstown Stud who argued against it, however he did warn that if customer feedback favoured an extra day then it would inevitably happen.

On social media, punters and racing enthusiasts have been almost unilaterally against the idea. A common claim is that it would effectively mean the Festival is placing ticket, food and drink sales, TV and sponsorship money (and of course betting revenue) as more important than the credibility of the racing itself.

SO WHY DO IT?

So what could be the reasons for extending the Cheltenham Festival?

Clearly, money has to be at the centre of any proposals. There can be no denying that the extension of an extra day would doubtlessly push back the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the flagship Championship race of the week, which would then be staged on the Saturday.

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It does not take a genius to work out the financial potential of having the most prestigious steeple chase in the world broadcast to a potentially much greater audience, including an untapped worldwide audience who would also be tuning in on the weekend.

The introduction of a Mares Chase in 2021 has also helped increase speculation as this new race will also mean the removal of one of the current Cheltenham Festival races. Most likely victims are the Fred Winter Hurdle or Kim Muir Chase, although the reputation of the National Hunt Chase after last year’s much publicised event (in which only 4 of 18 horses finished) is also under scrutiny.

Nevertheless, changes to major horse racing events in the past have all met with success. Royal Ascot now enjoys the extra Heath Meeting day on the Saturday and this has turned out to be their most popular day of the meeting.

The Epsom Derby famously ditched their traditional Wednesday slot in favour of a Saturday scheduling, and this has proved successful down the years in terms of attendance.

And of course, nobody can deny that the increased popularity of the Cheltenham Festival has significantly occurred since the introduction of the four day Festival in 2005. Martin St Quinton and his team will no doubt carefully assess the situation between now and the summer to make the right decision.

In the meantime of course, this year’s Cheltenham Festival is just 9 weeks away and whilst the argument for a five day festival rumbles on for now, it won’t be long before the attention is rightfully geared towards the horses and action of 10, 11, 12 and 13 March.

That is four days in case you are wondering, for now. 

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Jon is one of Howtobet4free’s co-founders and as well as producing content for the site also helps run the @howtobet4free_ Twitter account and Cheltenham Festival Facebook page. Jon works in Marketing and Communications in professional sport.

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