Fence moves

My impression -- which is probably wrong -- is that jockeys used to slow for downhill fences but over the past few years that changed and now they take them at full tilt. If this is the cause -- and I offer no supporting evidence -- then moving the fence a couple of yards might not be a panacea.

But well done to Cheltenham and the BHA for investigating and trying to fix the problem. We all want safe racing.

been campaigning for this to be moved back or taken out completely ever since it was moved years ago
it is in a diabolical position where it is now and reminds me of the 1st fence in the home straight at fakenham

fair play for moving it slightly further away from the bend, worth a try, but I fear that what ramruma says is spot on...they ride like idiots kicking on down the hill through where the old 2 out was and into the bend

surely this should have been trialled at the oct & nov meetings rather than the festival??

The simple answer is to run all the chases at every meeting on the New Course, and all the hurdle races on the Old Course. They only have 16 days racing each year, and with the full width of each course available, they'd be able to move the rails around to spread the wear. That eliminates all the problems with the 2nd last on the Old Course, none of which exist with the equivalent fence on the New.

There is a question about horses meeting a fence too quickly after a downhill run and a bend but the old position at the bottom of the hill was much worse because horses landing on lush grass, particularly at the October and November meetings, were slipping as they landed which does not happen in the new position in the straight. I don't see that the issue is bad enough to move all chases from the old course.

14 strides now between the last two
3 more than the railway fences
"The toughest three fences in national hunt racing"
Double the size of the gap between the last two at galway
Plenty more room simon !

Any sognificance in falls
This year
That bend is what throws
Them off balamce
Anyone know total falls there this year ?
Sage have a look at the camber next time you
Are out there and tell us what you think