Quality of Cheltenham grade 1s in decline

Lack of quality because fewer flat horses going NH and some of the only horses to compete with Mullins are staying in France.

I think some trainers are in decline also, Nichols hasn't got the fire power any more , McCain finished,  Irish trainers/owners seem to be laughing at any thing English, trained , I mean what Nichols got in top races..? Dodging bullets?  Scrapping about trying to plot hanciappers with the waives and strays

There are more Grade 1 races than Grade 1 horses at the festival these days

The way I look at it denman the quality of races are probably as good as ever, the fact that the best horses are coming from the one stable spoils everything.

Un De Seaux has a freeroll again this year beacuse Vautour is going to the Gold Cup. Should they be trained by different trainers we'd be discussing which will win the CC, Mine that vautour would destroy any animal up to 2m 5f . Would love to clean up on him in champion chase.

Faugheen is special and a joy to watch. Istabraq beat stable companion theatreworld twice and hor la loi once.

This years Gold Cup is the most amazing line up of horses ever. Vautour- last years JLT winner Don Poli last years RSA winner, the 2nd and 3rd in last years Gold Cup Diajadam and Road to Riches, and heay none of mention are favorite thats Don Cossack, throw in Cue Card whose going for a million pound bonus and the improving Smad Place. Wow I say thats the race of all time.

Flat horses rarely brought quality into jumps, they need time to mature and by racing them so early their mind is bored of the game with most by the 5th year. Add obstacles on the way and its a move to disaster in some cases and waste of time in most of the other. Bloomfields did have some success but even they couldn't find proper G1 jumpers from all the millions they've invested from buying flat horses. And those that do manage to find them, they're really really good, like Nichols Canyon who's one of the best flat ever to successfully keep his form over jumps.

OP you mean some G1 lack competition, not quality. Count how many quality horses there are these days vs few years ago. Faugheen is probably the best hurdler that has been, to put it up to him you need to bring horses from decades ago and judging by the faster and faster overall times vs 30-40 years ago and improving thoroughbreds, even those wouldn't be enough. Look at Arkle, he was battling the weights more than anything else and yet people still got out of their seats to see him.

If you meant that we should handicap graded races in order to make them competitive there's no need because its Cheltenham and every trainer goes there with quality horses so anything can and usually happens, remember Fever, Pont or Annie in the WH? Certainties that got exposed or snatched on the line. How many times did Kauto won? only twice from 7 and was 5 times odds-on or considered a certainty but wasn't because quality horses are always assembled at Cheltenham. Its not a Irish stroll around, its millionaires who invested many houses to get horses and find one good enough to go at the festival.

Of course nostalgic people will always view the past better than the present and maybe they're right in some cases, but there's always a new racing public generation that'll find the enjoyment to get out of the seats for the biggest show on earth.

^^^ v.good post.

GoBallistics view is on the harsh side of correct IMHO.

Boy, if Dawn Run was in training nowadays she would be run in the Mares Hurdle and then a couple of years later in the Ryanair.

History is being lost, I want to see courage!

More options mean less strength but it's not a progressive process.
The Ryanair and the Mares have diluted the quality and competitiveness of a few Champion Hurdles, Champion Chases and Gold Cups but there's no more they can do, unless they ever had a Grade 1 intermediate hurdle.

Yes, it's the concentration in one stable that's the main problem but, then again, had, for example, Djakadam, Vautour and Don Poli been in different yards and had already met, two of them would not look as good as they currently do. The aura of the Mullins horses is enhanced by them seldom meeting until the big festivals.

No doubt if they ever go the 2 and a half mile hurdle they can give up.

If they had an intermediate hurdle this year, the fav. (Arctic Fire)would now be diverted to the CH anyway

I agree this years Gold Cup if they all stand their ground had the makings of a great Gold Cup neve before in my time gas there been 6/7 good horses you could name a case for .....most strength in depth race ...

We have had Great winners Denman Kauto Best Mate Imperial Leader but never the number of competitive horses it usually was 3 horses max

This year can I call the winner not yet .....Vatour for me Is the Stand out .....we'll wait to see if he comes up the Hill