Cheltenham announcement at Henderson stable on 28th Sept

Going to be a race named after Princess Anne?


Other wild guesses welcome, so that mine doesn't look so stupid.

My thoughts were that this new race may be named after Nicky Henderson (his dad has one named after him, after all). But then I thought they could have the "2nd-last fence Chase" in which the leader of the race at the 2nd-last fence wins - then Barbers Shop may get a Festival victory to honour the Queen!

So you're thinking along the same lines of a new race name?


Might be a race named after See You Then, though he was trained elsewhere.

Cheltenham to have a 5th day and a new race will nmaed in its honour. The race will be a 3 mile 3 furlong contest and the slowest horse wins. Winner expected to be announced by July. Latest betting:

Quixhall Crossant 4-6
Mikhael D'Hagunet (on three legs) 7-4

Monkey on
DH

Please

It's an announcment and a request to all Betfair members.

The announcment will be. Binocular is out of the Champion Hurdle

The request will be can Nicky get on at 1000 this time as he needs to stock up his drink cabinet

Hopefully they have a sponsor who is going to name a race after him.

If ever a man deserved it it's Nicky Henderson.

Is that Ken?

Its Stan James being announced as the new Champion Hurdle sponsors it mentioned today in the RP...also sponsoring the Bula/Intl Hurdle and the Fighting Fifth.

One knock-on effect is that William Hill have been told they can no longer sponsor the 3m H'cap Chase!

Surely the sensible thing is to just move it to another day at the Festival when another bookie ain't sponsoring a race?? Or isn't there one?

Me2: surely that's not what's going to happen? Racing needs every sponsor it can get and to kick one in the goolies at the expense of another (even if both are bookies) is downright daft. I hope its not true.

Yeah, seems a bit extreme to me.  Maybe bookies have always insisted on exclusive rights, but we've never noticed before?? 

Page 2 of today's Racing Post:-

As a result of Stan james winning the rights to the Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham have informed William Hill that the bookmaker will no longer be able to back the 3m handicap chase on the Tuesday of the Festival, staged in recent seasons as the William Hill Trophy.

Can only presume they insisted on being the only bookmaker sponsor on the day for a commitment of £500k+.

Noticed the article saying Betfair was also involved in discussions re sponsoring the Champion Hurdle.