Only 7 in the national hunt chase

Shocker

Personally, I don't mind it. I would rather a small, select and quality field than 15+ runners where 10 don't have a chance and the lack of quality in both horse and jockey potentially cause more harm than they do good.

My concerns over field sizes are more around other races than the longer race of the week which is restricted to AM only, but can recognise the problem you've highlighted. GL this week

though a couple of couple of days ago I had a good bet laying the front 2 at evens .

I'm surprised (possibly because I've not been paying attention) that David Maxwell does not have one for this.

And I wonder if the ThreeUnderThruFive team is wishing they'd stuck to this rather than the Brown Advisory.

Regardless of what happens at the festival, the issue of field sizes in the graded races is going to be a huge talking point in the aftermath.

The Turners could be quite literally a match, and perish the thought Mullins has a late switcheroo and chooses the longer race and we got a walk over

The Group 1 races on the flat have been getting smaller for years. People say quality trumps quantity
but we all like a decent-sized field and a true-run race.

turners looks like 4 runners maybe 2 ,,,,lol

Four in the Turners, 9 in the Ryanair, 10 in the Stayers.

As Ruby (channeling Father Ted) reminds us, Arkle was winning 4-runner Gold Cups.

The NH chase is no longer the same race. 4 miles for amateurs attracted legions of Hunters and PTP horses that could often turn over the 6yos from big yards that started as false favourites in some years. Now it is a staying novice chase for horses not good enough for the Brown Advisory. Vanillier won the 3 mile novice hurdle easily enough last year so I won't be opposing that.

None of the runners today would have ben qualified for the old race. All winners over hurdles.