New races at next years festival.

NO NO NO NO NO

They're gradually heading towards a 5 day festival with the Gold Cup held on the Saturday. Will happen within 5 years.

The current mares race is the most uncompetitive race of the festival. We certainly don't need another one.

As for this "Grand National trial" do they seriously think any trainer with half a brain is going to run a Grand National horse in such a race 3 weeks before the big one ? Not to mention the clash with the Midlands National.
There will be about 10 runners most of which will be refugees from Plumpton.

refugees from plumpton

hahaha refugees from plumpton

things i'd like to see more than a 2 mile novice hurdles for fillies:

a 4 and a half mile hurdle race, a grand national for hurdlers if you will
a ladies jockeys race
a 5 furlong sprint (starting from stalls) with two hurdles to be jumped
and finally an 8 mile relay, the leading 10 trainers from uk and ireland submit a team of 4 horses, each horse runs 2 miles, batons to be handed over, drop them and you're disqualified

channel 4 presenters race with big mac at top of handicap.

If they introduce a 2m4f Hurdle I'll kill someone. Aintree has the 2m4f races ffs, it also has the Melling which used to be a top race.

The last think we need is another race for female horses. The mares' race is a non-event. We can all recognise the greatness of Big Buck's but with Quevega it's so what? I think Cheltenham should be about competition between the best. There are already too many mickey mouse races but no doubt we'll get more imposed on us.

Dandy Nicholls plunge on the 5f hurdle

i;d like to see a mixed jumps race

hurdle-fence-hurdle-fence etc

The complete NH horse would win this

Veterans race is the only worthwhile addition i can think of....the exposed old boys rarely have much chance in the handicaps...only thing i would say is that there should be a number of races stipulation aswell as an age stipulation so we avoid the situation of a few weeks ago when a veterans race was won by a novice chaser.

Cut the number of races to 6 a day!

3 mile cross country race for horses who often find nothing off the bridle.... to recoup losses on Maljimar... probably still find a way to finish unplaced though.

A fillys race FFS. Have they looked at age profile of horses running in the existing mares race . Its bad enough already without gutting it ...

I can't believe an ante-post forum is discussing this.

We should be up in arms, picketing the place, demanding our lives are made easier not more complicated!

Man the barricades! Who's with me?!

[smiley:crazy]

About time they did away with some of these newly created races, why the Jewson and the Centenary Chase ?
As for another mares race, absolute nonsense, Quevega has every half decent mare running scared to create the most uncompetetive race of the week, how bad would a novice mares race be ?
I like the idea of a veterans race but I would urge the powers that be to have 6 races a day with a max of 24, lose some of the duplicate races

As for this "Grand National trial" do they seriously think any trainer with half a brain is going to run a Grand National horse in such a race 3 weeks before the big one ? Not to mention the clash with the Midlands National.



A contradiction there.

I think they should introduce a 3 mile horse and cart race, and call it the Steptoe and son novices. The winner gets some scrap metal and a pair of wooley gloves with half the fingers cut off.

Should cut the crap out and cut it back to 3 days

bluebirdfan

Would that they did, but it's never going to happen now is it?

From a social perspective I've come around to enjoying four days away, with nothing to do but go racing, punt like hero and generally act like I'm 21 without a care in the world.

Five days though will dilute the already weak overall quality of the meeting. If it includes the Saturday then it'll alienate the true, committed racing enthusiast further and just be another corporate joly for the know-nothings and the pi$$ artists.

Sorry, didnt see this thread.

Despite my initial reservations, I think its brilliant now.... better than the original 3 days (only because it means I get an extra day at the best event of the year) but 5 days would be too much.

And these potential new races are ridiculous. Agree that a veterans one could work, but thats about it.

The Stuart Hall Foam & Latex Memorial Handicap Hurdle

A 2 mile 3furlong race for horses who have won at a previous festival. The horses run 2 miles at which point the jockeys dismount and run the final three furlongs in a giant's costume (in the correct colours) as per 'Its A Knockout' in the 1970s.

I hear Mr Gillespie has it on the agenda for 2013. On the Saturday, just between the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup.

....whilst the ghost of Eddie Waring cackles furiously in the background

What price Buena Vista baracouda? With only small alterations to his headgear, he could be made for the race.

What about the prospect of becoming a Galway type festival.The charity race was a forerunner of a 1M 4F flat race ,a kind of pre Lincoln a pair of teeth.

Not really Graeme.

Who was the last horse to run in the Midlands National and then go close in the big one ?

I dont think you contradicted yourself at all fb so not agreeing with Graeme.... but on this point, do you think that effectively rules Synchronised out of the race? I cant make my mind up.

I've no idea how many horses have run in the GN after the Midlands version, but I'm not convinced it would ruin his chances and could have brought him on nicely for the big one?

i could be wrong and im too lazy to check but i think mon mone ran in it before winning national

I stand corrected,moneypenny. He was beaten so far at Uttoxeter I'd forgotten about him! No excuse.

CCM,I think Synchronised had a pretty hard race and don't think it's helped his chances for Aintree. Maybe he can still win but personally I've got big doubts about him taking to the fences and reading between the lines I think connections have too. Which is perhaps why he ran on Saturday ?

Yeah I agree with that. And with Arbor Supreme and DPI, they probably think they have enough ammo for Aintree, so why not try and win both races. Suppose its just impossible trying to second guess them.

AP certainly didnt go easy on him. I just thought that having won this last year, he deserved a crack at the big one this time around.

They have it right now,should leave it alone.Their are no Cr&p races by the way as some seem to say on here,some better than others of course but they are all good races.

Perhaps I am in the minority but I think the Thursday is missing a race and the schedule needs to be revised.  Switch the Arkle to Thursday and add an extra race on Tuesday, real contenders are:-

Evs Veterans Race (10yo+ chase)
2/1 Mares Bumper
4/1 Mares Novice Hurdle
8/1 Additional race over X country
12/1 Grey's only race
25/1 2 Mile Hunter Chase

Flyingbolt i still think it was a contradiction. You asked whether or not a horse would be run a few weeks before the big one. Well they clearly do get run in the Midlands national. You never said anything about running and then going close.