New Posts For Thread: Festival Hunters' Chasehttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chaseThere didn't seem to be a hunter chase thread so I thought I'd start one.Billaway looks to have improved this season and will be a short price favourite to improve on his second place finish last year when Patrick Mullins gave the leader and eventualBut for the old brigade like me, getting rid of amateur races would be like doing away with chases and only having hurdles. They are a fundamental part of racing. If you have amateur licences at all then you need some races confined to amateurs in thhttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560714263#560714263But for the old brigade like me, getting rid of amateur races would be like doing away with chases and only having hurdles. They are a fundamental part of racing. If you have amateur licences at all then you need some races confined to amateurs in thSat, 27 Mar 2021 14:21:11 -0500Sorry to follow up my own post. Actually, it wouldn't be too different from what happens now in the Champion Bumper. Pros can't ride in bumpers in Ireland, but plenty of the Irish-based pros ride in the Champion Bumper. Codd, Mullins, etc. always gehttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560708081#560708081Sorry to follow up my own post. Actually, it wouldn't be too different from what happens now in the Champion Bumper. Pros can't ride in bumpers in Ireland, but plenty of the Irish-based pros ride in the Champion Bumper. Codd, Mullins, etc. always geFri, 26 Mar 2021 11:49:47 -0500I'd like to, yes. That could certainly be done for the NH Chase and the Kim Muir. Harder, practically speaking, for the Hunter as the qualifying hunter chases/point-to-points are amateur-only races.https://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560708067#560708067I'd like to, yes. That could certainly be done for the NH Chase and the Kim Muir. Harder, practically speaking, for the Hunter as the qualifying hunter chases/point-to-points are amateur-only races.Fri, 26 Mar 2021 11:46:00 -0500So you would make all races open to Professionals and any amateur that has the necessary experience with no Festival races confined to amateurs?https://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560706769#560706769So you would make all races open to Professionals and any amateur that has the necessary experience with no Festival races confined to amateurs?Fri, 26 Mar 2021 08:24:18 -0500No. If you read my post, it's crystal clear. Codd and his like will continue to get rides on merit.Whether riders like Codd and Mullins should be classified as amateurs (which they clearly aren't) is a separate issue.https://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560705899#560705899No. If you read my post, it's crystal clear. Codd and his like will continue to get rides on merit.Whether riders like Codd and Mullins should be classified as amateurs (which they clearly aren't) is a separate issue.Fri, 26 Mar 2021 05:14:53 -0500So you would eliminate Jamie Codd in favour of a 7lb claiming conditional?https://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560705799#560705799So you would eliminate Jamie Codd in favour of a 7lb claiming conditional?Fri, 26 Mar 2021 04:38:41 -0500I didn't say get rid of amateurs, I said get rid of the amateur-only races from the Festival. You only get to play in the Premier League once you've proved your ability - the Festival is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport. Moreover, the NH Chashttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560701819#560701819I didn't say get rid of amateurs, I said get rid of the amateur-only races from the Festival. You only get to play in the Premier League once you've proved your ability - the Festival is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport. Moreover, the NH ChasThu, 25 Mar 2021 06:28:28 -0500*Boxinghttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560701057#560701057*BoxingWed, 24 Mar 2021 18:00:02 -0500Zanayhir was far to keen could easily have been due to mot running since Boxong Dayhttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560701055#560701055Zanayhir was far to keen could easily have been due to mot running since Boxong DayWed, 24 Mar 2021 17:59:47 -0500Yeah Zealot you don't often see one get the kid glove treatment at the festival but that definitely did! Be interested to see where they go next with it. I would definitely fancy it to beat Quixilos if they reoppose. Maybe they will at Aintree or Punhttps://community.betfair.com/cheltenham2011/go/thread/view/113609/31694449/festival-hunters-chase?post_id=560695517#560695517Yeah Zealot you don't often see one get the kid glove treatment at the festival but that definitely did! Be interested to see where they go next with it. I would definitely fancy it to beat Quixilos if they reoppose. Maybe they will at Aintree or PunTue, 23 Mar 2021 11:59:26 -0500