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04 Oct 11
14:50
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Cheltenham to make public ambitious redevelopment plans early next year. Possibility of Festival moving into weekend could depend on it.
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Unlike others, no real problem with moving GC day to Sat. As long as the festival isn't extended to a further day
No problem if it runs into week-end but a big problem if it goes to five days they can count me out. It is bad enough as it is with the bookie's benefit mickey mouse races. Thursday's card as it is is a joke.
what benefit would it be to cheltenham to run the gold cup on saturday without it being an extra day ?
I would imagine that they would still run Gold Cup on Friday but overall they would hope demand would go up and could charge higher prices.
they are developing the lower tatts end (guiness village),putting down a permanent stand i presume.
My understanding is they are developing facilities for members which is badly needed. Cant see them putting in permanent structure for Guinness village as it only comes into play for Festival. Of course they might build a permanent structure there for other reasons.
Cheltenham Town F.C. are hoping to move to Cheltenham Racecourse. But it's not right there isn't enough good horses around to add extra races on. It's already damaged by watered down Handicaps in the extra day. Bookmakers musn't be allowed rule what we want to see. Edward Gillispie would want to listen to his heart not his pocket [;)]
Edward Gillespie slipped up about six years ago when he made a statement which was certainly pro-bookmaker which was disappointing.
Punchestown Festrival ruined by making it ever, and ever, longer - with 5 Bumpers -
Now they have to start racing at 3-40pm ... to get people to turn up.
Galway is just and interminable endurance test - and not just for the alcoholics.
Now they have to start racing at 3-40pm ... to get people to turn up.
Galway is just and interminable endurance test - and not just for the alcoholics.
Lets face it Saturday Festival will be here in the next few years. The best article I saw on the debate talked of putting 6 hcaps on for hors
Lets face it Saturday Festival will be here in the next few years. The best article I saw on the debate talked of putting 6 hcaps on for hors
Lets face it Saturday Festival will be here in the next few years. The best article I saw on the debate talked of putting 6 hcaps on for hors
Lets face it Saturday Festival will be here in the next few years. The best article I saw on the debate talked of putting 6 hcaps on for hors
Lets face it Saturday Festival will be here in the next few years. The best article I saw on the debate talked of putting 6 hcaps on for hors
I think the idea of replicating the Festival handicaps for horses at the level immediately below the ones that make the cut at the Festival (like the Ayr Silver Cup), and staging the meeting on the Saturday, but not as a part of 'the Festival' (a bit like the old Ascot Heath meeting), is a good one.
Cheltenham gets its Saturday fixture, the purists don't have to change anything or keep going for five days straight, and punters get an extra jumps meeting at Cheltenham (and any meeting there is better than most meetings)...
Cheltenham gets its Saturday fixture, the purists don't have to change anything or keep going for five days straight, and punters get an extra jumps meeting at Cheltenham (and any meeting there is better than most meetings)...
arklearkle
why was his pro bookmaker statement dissapointing ?
why was his pro bookmaker statement dissapointing ?
hello millhouse
do you think thats the route they will go rather than running the gold cup on the saturday ?
do you think thats the route they will go rather than running the gold cup on the saturday ?
Should return to three days and stop diluting the quality! Gillespie is deranged.
supreme nov, rsa, champ hurdle, world hurdle, queen mother, gold cup and ryanair prob all to moved to a saturday.
Good evening Jimnast. I think it has been suggested, and it strikes me as a very good idea, that will work for all factions.
Gillespie usually gets it right, imho, and my money would be that he'll be aware that a Saturday Gold Cup is not what his core audience wants, and that the meeting suggested above would probably see a massive attendance anyway...
Gillespie usually gets it right, imho, and my money would be that he'll be aware that a Saturday Gold Cup is not what his core audience wants, and that the meeting suggested above would probably see a massive attendance anyway...
Imagine a Saturday Gold Cup - run in the rain, after 4 days of the course having already taken a hammering.
if it does go 5 days millhouse i hope they do go that way,have to agree about the md does tend to get things right.
hello loper
different type of crowd at uttox midlands national day so doubt the attendence would be affected,but the sponsorship side of that day could well be a problem as would jockey arrangements.
different type of crowd at uttox midlands national day so doubt the attendence would be affected,but the sponsorship side of that day could well be a problem as would jockey arrangements.
Jimnast I dont understand your question re pro bookmaking statement. I'm sure the bookmakers were not disappointed but punters should be.
Jimnast I dont understand your question re pro bookmaking statement. I'm sure the bookmakers were not disappointed but punters should be.
Running big races on a saturday took the fun out of racing. People loved booking midweek days off to go to Newmarket, Epsom, Cheltenham .
A.D. Busses Coaches "charabans" from all over the country came to the Derby................all those factories up norf...............a freebie.........now its SATURDAY & if yer want to go make yer own way.........& they cant understand why crouds are down 
arklearkle
are you talking about racecourse bookmakers or off course bookmakers ?
are you talking about racecourse bookmakers or off course bookmakers ?
Gillespie is likely to say that they need the 5th day to pay for the new developments. New developments should pay for themselves - otherwise they are not worth doing - ROI. Punters will attend more and more if they have a chance and their day does not cost too much but they have no chance with the new type of races being introduced. Some would argue that the middle distance races such as the Ryanair dilute the other championship races which is also probably true. This year we had the Somersby will-he-wont-he episode and certainly the Arkle and Sun Alliance novice chases would have been much better if Noble Prince and/or Wishful Thinking had participated. So now we are likely to have more dilution until eventually it will be all fkuced up good and proper and then we will have another RFC wondering why it all went tits-up.
i often think would one man have won a champion chase or would dessie have won a gold cup if the ryan air was around in those days.
i would be against the 5th day.
but which bookmakers do you refer to as been dissapointed with eg statement ?
i would be against the 5th day.
but which bookmakers do you refer to as been dissapointed with eg statement ?
Home of Cheltenham Festival in line for a facelift after 2014 meeting
• Racecourse outline plans for radical rebuilding
• Gillespie speaks of change to last a generation
Will Hayler at Cheltenham
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 October 2011 18.24 BST
Redevelopment plans for the home of jumps racing are finally set to become reality, if the board of Cheltenham racecourse's owners, Jockey Club Racecourses, give the go-ahead later this year.
An ageing collection of racecourse buildings dating from as early as the 1920s are to be demolished and rebuilt, while the main grandstand, which was completed in 1979, is also set to receive a major facelift.
Plans for changes to the structures which directly overlook the racecourse and paddock areas have been appearing and disappearing from the agenda since the completion of the Centaur building at the track in 2004. But a feasibility study for the redevelopment work has now been completed and the business case will now go before the JCR board.
Twelve months after the managing director, Edward Gillespie, mentioned having to raise "£25m, £30m or £35m" for the project both the scale of the work to be completed – which could now include a new hotel – and the forecast costs appear to have escalated considerably.
Gillespie was unwilling to discuss the finances but said: "The Centaur cost over £20m and that was just one building.
"This is going to be a major redevelopment, a redevelopment that is more ambitious than what we might have been discussing 12 months ago and one that will make a big difference to racegoers at the Festival and all meetings here.
"We're not thinking about figures, we're aiming to create a change in the racing experience that will hold for 30, 40 years, to take that experience to a new level."
Gillespie admitted that redevelopment work could now extend for two years or more in total but said he hoped it could all be tied up in one contract and that racegoers would experience minimal disruption. It is understood that work could start immediately after the 2014 Festival.
Discussions rumble on with Cheltenham Town FC over the possible siting of a new stadium on land adjacent to current racecourse buildings but the finances remain sticky.
Meanwhile the clerk of the course, Simon Claisse, confirmed that for the third year the siting of the final hurdle will be moved closer to the grandstand for the Festival, producing a shorter run-in.
"There were two reasons for doing it – one was to bring the action a little closer to the people and secondly that, if we reduced the length of the run-in, there was less opportunity for jockeys to be in breach of the then whip rules and the reduction of the number of breaches from Festival to Festival was down 71% the first year we did it.
"Under the new guidelines we will be compacting the distance in which a jockey can use his maximum permissible number of five hits after the last but what the effect of that will be I don't know. We'll consult with the British Horseracing Authority if we need to."
• Racecourse outline plans for radical rebuilding
• Gillespie speaks of change to last a generation
Will Hayler at Cheltenham
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 4 October 2011 18.24 BST
Redevelopment plans for the home of jumps racing are finally set to become reality, if the board of Cheltenham racecourse's owners, Jockey Club Racecourses, give the go-ahead later this year.
An ageing collection of racecourse buildings dating from as early as the 1920s are to be demolished and rebuilt, while the main grandstand, which was completed in 1979, is also set to receive a major facelift.
Plans for changes to the structures which directly overlook the racecourse and paddock areas have been appearing and disappearing from the agenda since the completion of the Centaur building at the track in 2004. But a feasibility study for the redevelopment work has now been completed and the business case will now go before the JCR board.
Twelve months after the managing director, Edward Gillespie, mentioned having to raise "£25m, £30m or £35m" for the project both the scale of the work to be completed – which could now include a new hotel – and the forecast costs appear to have escalated considerably.
Gillespie was unwilling to discuss the finances but said: "The Centaur cost over £20m and that was just one building.
"This is going to be a major redevelopment, a redevelopment that is more ambitious than what we might have been discussing 12 months ago and one that will make a big difference to racegoers at the Festival and all meetings here.
"We're not thinking about figures, we're aiming to create a change in the racing experience that will hold for 30, 40 years, to take that experience to a new level."
Gillespie admitted that redevelopment work could now extend for two years or more in total but said he hoped it could all be tied up in one contract and that racegoers would experience minimal disruption. It is understood that work could start immediately after the 2014 Festival.
Discussions rumble on with Cheltenham Town FC over the possible siting of a new stadium on land adjacent to current racecourse buildings but the finances remain sticky.
Meanwhile the clerk of the course, Simon Claisse, confirmed that for the third year the siting of the final hurdle will be moved closer to the grandstand for the Festival, producing a shorter run-in.
"There were two reasons for doing it – one was to bring the action a little closer to the people and secondly that, if we reduced the length of the run-in, there was less opportunity for jockeys to be in breach of the then whip rules and the reduction of the number of breaches from Festival to Festival was down 71% the first year we did it.
"Under the new guidelines we will be compacting the distance in which a jockey can use his maximum permissible number of five hits after the last but what the effect of that will be I don't know. We'll consult with the British Horseracing Authority if we need to."
A Verry short run in wheres there is no time to whip the horse.........this will please the new Saturday croud 
As you well know Jimnast all bookmakers love handicaps and the more runners the better for them so I dont see a difference.
arkle many on course books dont favour handicaps,i accept the high street bookmakers do.
Irishfield.com
CHELTENHAM PRESS CONFERENCE KEY POINTS
A
Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, gave a press conference on Tuesday. Below are the main points
GRANDSTAND
“Behind the Grandstand there is quite a lot of work going on in and around the parade ring. There is a new podium being built in the winner’s enclosure and also a little stand to take people out of the parade ring.
“The final preparations are going on for what we hope will be a great weekend in 10 days’ time when we will be welcoming everybody back to Cheltenham for yet another season.
“The theme of today is very much about investment in what is happening here at Cheltenham and the sport of Jump racing more generally.”
PRIZE MONEY
Edward Gillespie: “Our investment in prize money is something we are focusing on coming into this season.
“It is great that we have achieved what we set out to do for the calendar year 2011, with prize money of £5.34 million, which works out at almost £50,000 per race.
“We provide 59 per cent of our prize money from executive and sponsorship contributions. We are top of the Racehorse Owners Association racecourse league table, along with Cartmel, in that regard.
“Our executive and sponsorship contribution this year will amount to £3.35 million. Sponsorship stands at a record £3.1 million.
“Despite Levy Board cuts, every one of our 46 races by the end of December will be tariff compliant.
“We have enjoyed an immense glow in sponsorship following on from what many described as the best Festival we have ever had in March and more sponsorship announcements will be made shortly, including for the December Gold Cup.
“So much remains uncertain about 2012 such as funding packages but we do know our fixtures next year which many racecourses are still waiting on. We are continuing to develop the concept of the Road To Cheltenham.
“The Grade One races at The Festival in 2012 will have the same prize money as this year.”
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Edward Gillespie: “Our plans going forward include the potential redevelopment here. Since May we have commissioned a team of designers to come up with what we call a feasibility study and the report is in next week.
“I have been putting together with our team the business case for this. These will go to our board before the end of this year. So early next year we hope to give you good news of when we might be progressing these plans which will enable the racegoers to have better vantage points from redeveloping the oldest grandstands at Cheltenham. We think we have a plan which will be appropriate for the next generation.
“Our dialogue is continuing with Cheltenham Town Football Club about the possible relocation of their stadium. That could certainly be a runner if it could prove an accelerator commercially to the funding of the masterplan.
“We also have a hotel as part of our masterplan. We would hope that would help build our conference and events business which has been extremely busy over the summer. We have welcomed the National Brass Band Championships plus hosted two major music festivals, while companies like Hewlett Packard, BSkyB, Vauxhall and Mercedes have had events here. Upcoming in The Centaur, we have concerts from The Specials and Jools Holland.
“We are looking forward to having the redevelopment completed within the next three to five years. Along with that, we will be able to talk about the possibility of The Festival moving to a weekend.
“The improvement of the April meeting and the May fixture are priorities for us.”
THE SHOWCASE- Friday & Saturday, October 14 & 15
Edward Gillespie: “Seeing behind the scenes is very much part of The Showcase, allowing racegoers to watch races with the commentator or the judge, to visit the weighing room before racing, to judge the best turned out horse and more. That has proved very successful in recent years.
“The race meeting coincides again with the Cheltenham Literary Festival . On the Friday evening A P McCoy will be interviewed by Alan Lee in the Imperial Gardens and on the Saturday, at 6pm, Sam Waley-Cohen, his father Robert and Robin Oakley are performing which will be interesting since Sam is due to ride in the 5.25pm here. This is part of our Centenary Celebrations.
“There are 10 painted horses around the town, including one on our roundabout, and each has been sponsored. They will be auctioned here in November and we hope they raise a great deal of money for charity.
“The Channel 4 Morning Line set will be moved up into Hurdlers’ Hall and the Morning Line team will be there from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to meet racegoers.
“There will also be a jargon-busting challenge, in association with the University of Gloucestershire. We are trying to break down the barriers that stop people taking an interest in our sport.
“We are going to invite teams to explains terms like off the bridle, cut in the ground and galloping track without using jargon.
“We are about 15 per cent ahead on our bookings this year, with hospitality sales strong.”
THE OPEN- Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 11-13
Edward Gillespie: “We are going back to television advertising to promote The Open after a gap of three years. For the last couple of years, we have concentrated on a poster campaign in London, Birmingham and elsewhere. We will still have an element of that poster campaign but feel it is very important to maximise opportunities.
“The Friday is Countryside Raceday which benefits the Countryside Alliance and our nominated charity which for the last four years has been the Equestrian Team GBR which is aiming for the Olympics next year. Riders such as William Fox-Pitt will be taking part in a challenge over our cross country course.
“On the Saturday, we stage the Paddy Power Gold Cup and have a money-back offer to racegoers booking tickets in advance at full price if a horses wins the feature race at 20/1 or above.
“We have kept ticket prices the same during the autumn and spring, many for a third year running. Sales are encouraging at the moment, with restaurant and hospitality bookings being particularly strong on the Saturday. This is first year that we have not clashed with a rugby international on the Saturday.”
THE INTERNATIONAL - Friday & Saturday, December 9 & 10
Edward Gillespie: “This seems quite a long way ahead. Last year we lost the Crystal Cup race over the cross country course but this year we hope it will be the successful climax of 10 races across Europe.
“This is the second year of the Crystal Cup which has done an enormous amount to link six nations in Europe. Next year, another nation, Sweden, is likely to join in and we could have two more races.”
THE FESTIVAL- Tuesday to Friday, March 13 - 16, 2012
Edward Gillespie: “It is early days yet but we will again be promoting each day with its individual character. Tuesday is Champion Day, Wednesday is Ladies Day, Thursday is a little cheekily St Patrick’s Thursday, while the Friday is Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.
“This year Cancer Research UK raised over £250,000 from the charity race on the Thursday, the St Patrick’s Day Derby, and we are working with Cancer Research UK to have another charity race.
“We are also targeting customers in Australia and New Zealand. We offered Australians free admission last year after they lost a test match and were surprised by how many took up the offer.
“We are hoping for an Australian runner, Black And Bent, at The Festival. Michael Dickinson is advising the team behind the horse who have been here for the past two Festivals looking around. The horse could target the Champion Hurdle or the World Hurdle.
“In New Zealand, we have a series promoting The Festival and hopefully that will generate horses from there too.
“So part of work is trying to spread the message of The Festival globally.
“We will be advertising The Festival on TV to maximise the impact to people locally and regionally as much as possible.”
THE COURSE
Simon Claisse, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course and director of racing, revealed: “Over the last 12 months, we have had less that half the average rainfall for the area so it has been dry for a long, long time.
“The ground is currently good to firm and we have been watering for four and a half weeks and used over eight million gallons.
“We shall continue to water up to The Showcase. The forecast is for five to six millimetres of rain from John Kettley though others are forecasting more.
“For us to have ground approaching good for October 14, we will need some help from on high.
“Temperatures here on Sunday peaked at 29 degrees. So that really does produce difficult conditions to water and added to that there was quite a strong wind.
“The course is certainly looking good and I am confident we will have it in excellent shape by the time we start on Friday week.
“Moving the second last fence on the Old Course into the straight last season was a great success in terms of reducing the number of fallers.
“There were some concerns earlier this year about the numbers of people in the parade ring - we are limited to 373 in terms of the available area. We have a strict badging policy for owners and trainers but there are a lot of metal badges which allow access.
“We are increasing the vantage points around the parade ring for metal badge holders to try and discourage them from going into the parade ring.
“There will not be an additional seventh race at the 2012 Festival - we added the Jewson Novices’ Chase this year which proved a great success.
“We host at Cheltenham 46 of the Pattern races during a season and one of those, the three mile, three and a half furlong chase at The International in December, has been upgraded to Grade Three.
“The success of pony racing in producing jockeys has prompted us to have a race at the April meeting for pony racing graduates.
“We are also looking at staging an additional mares race then too. This is to help promote the retention of mares in training. We have agreed a two and a half mile Listed novices hurdle for mares on the Thursday alongside the mares bumper and mares handicap hurdle
CHELTENHAM PRESS CONFERENCE KEY POINTS
A
Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, gave a press conference on Tuesday. Below are the main points
GRANDSTAND
“Behind the Grandstand there is quite a lot of work going on in and around the parade ring. There is a new podium being built in the winner’s enclosure and also a little stand to take people out of the parade ring.
“The final preparations are going on for what we hope will be a great weekend in 10 days’ time when we will be welcoming everybody back to Cheltenham for yet another season.
“The theme of today is very much about investment in what is happening here at Cheltenham and the sport of Jump racing more generally.”
PRIZE MONEY
Edward Gillespie: “Our investment in prize money is something we are focusing on coming into this season.
“It is great that we have achieved what we set out to do for the calendar year 2011, with prize money of £5.34 million, which works out at almost £50,000 per race.
“We provide 59 per cent of our prize money from executive and sponsorship contributions. We are top of the Racehorse Owners Association racecourse league table, along with Cartmel, in that regard.
“Our executive and sponsorship contribution this year will amount to £3.35 million. Sponsorship stands at a record £3.1 million.
“Despite Levy Board cuts, every one of our 46 races by the end of December will be tariff compliant.
“We have enjoyed an immense glow in sponsorship following on from what many described as the best Festival we have ever had in March and more sponsorship announcements will be made shortly, including for the December Gold Cup.
“So much remains uncertain about 2012 such as funding packages but we do know our fixtures next year which many racecourses are still waiting on. We are continuing to develop the concept of the Road To Cheltenham.
“The Grade One races at The Festival in 2012 will have the same prize money as this year.”
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
Edward Gillespie: “Our plans going forward include the potential redevelopment here. Since May we have commissioned a team of designers to come up with what we call a feasibility study and the report is in next week.
“I have been putting together with our team the business case for this. These will go to our board before the end of this year. So early next year we hope to give you good news of when we might be progressing these plans which will enable the racegoers to have better vantage points from redeveloping the oldest grandstands at Cheltenham. We think we have a plan which will be appropriate for the next generation.
“Our dialogue is continuing with Cheltenham Town Football Club about the possible relocation of their stadium. That could certainly be a runner if it could prove an accelerator commercially to the funding of the masterplan.
“We also have a hotel as part of our masterplan. We would hope that would help build our conference and events business which has been extremely busy over the summer. We have welcomed the National Brass Band Championships plus hosted two major music festivals, while companies like Hewlett Packard, BSkyB, Vauxhall and Mercedes have had events here. Upcoming in The Centaur, we have concerts from The Specials and Jools Holland.
“We are looking forward to having the redevelopment completed within the next three to five years. Along with that, we will be able to talk about the possibility of The Festival moving to a weekend.
“The improvement of the April meeting and the May fixture are priorities for us.”
THE SHOWCASE- Friday & Saturday, October 14 & 15
Edward Gillespie: “Seeing behind the scenes is very much part of The Showcase, allowing racegoers to watch races with the commentator or the judge, to visit the weighing room before racing, to judge the best turned out horse and more. That has proved very successful in recent years.
“The race meeting coincides again with the Cheltenham Literary Festival . On the Friday evening A P McCoy will be interviewed by Alan Lee in the Imperial Gardens and on the Saturday, at 6pm, Sam Waley-Cohen, his father Robert and Robin Oakley are performing which will be interesting since Sam is due to ride in the 5.25pm here. This is part of our Centenary Celebrations.
“There are 10 painted horses around the town, including one on our roundabout, and each has been sponsored. They will be auctioned here in November and we hope they raise a great deal of money for charity.
“The Channel 4 Morning Line set will be moved up into Hurdlers’ Hall and the Morning Line team will be there from 12.30pm to 1.30pm to meet racegoers.
“There will also be a jargon-busting challenge, in association with the University of Gloucestershire. We are trying to break down the barriers that stop people taking an interest in our sport.
“We are going to invite teams to explains terms like off the bridle, cut in the ground and galloping track without using jargon.
“We are about 15 per cent ahead on our bookings this year, with hospitality sales strong.”
THE OPEN- Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 11-13
Edward Gillespie: “We are going back to television advertising to promote The Open after a gap of three years. For the last couple of years, we have concentrated on a poster campaign in London, Birmingham and elsewhere. We will still have an element of that poster campaign but feel it is very important to maximise opportunities.
“The Friday is Countryside Raceday which benefits the Countryside Alliance and our nominated charity which for the last four years has been the Equestrian Team GBR which is aiming for the Olympics next year. Riders such as William Fox-Pitt will be taking part in a challenge over our cross country course.
“On the Saturday, we stage the Paddy Power Gold Cup and have a money-back offer to racegoers booking tickets in advance at full price if a horses wins the feature race at 20/1 or above.
“We have kept ticket prices the same during the autumn and spring, many for a third year running. Sales are encouraging at the moment, with restaurant and hospitality bookings being particularly strong on the Saturday. This is first year that we have not clashed with a rugby international on the Saturday.”
THE INTERNATIONAL - Friday & Saturday, December 9 & 10
Edward Gillespie: “This seems quite a long way ahead. Last year we lost the Crystal Cup race over the cross country course but this year we hope it will be the successful climax of 10 races across Europe.
“This is the second year of the Crystal Cup which has done an enormous amount to link six nations in Europe. Next year, another nation, Sweden, is likely to join in and we could have two more races.”
THE FESTIVAL- Tuesday to Friday, March 13 - 16, 2012
Edward Gillespie: “It is early days yet but we will again be promoting each day with its individual character. Tuesday is Champion Day, Wednesday is Ladies Day, Thursday is a little cheekily St Patrick’s Thursday, while the Friday is Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.
“This year Cancer Research UK raised over £250,000 from the charity race on the Thursday, the St Patrick’s Day Derby, and we are working with Cancer Research UK to have another charity race.
“We are also targeting customers in Australia and New Zealand. We offered Australians free admission last year after they lost a test match and were surprised by how many took up the offer.
“We are hoping for an Australian runner, Black And Bent, at The Festival. Michael Dickinson is advising the team behind the horse who have been here for the past two Festivals looking around. The horse could target the Champion Hurdle or the World Hurdle.
“In New Zealand, we have a series promoting The Festival and hopefully that will generate horses from there too.
“So part of work is trying to spread the message of The Festival globally.
“We will be advertising The Festival on TV to maximise the impact to people locally and regionally as much as possible.”
THE COURSE
Simon Claisse, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course and director of racing, revealed: “Over the last 12 months, we have had less that half the average rainfall for the area so it has been dry for a long, long time.
“The ground is currently good to firm and we have been watering for four and a half weeks and used over eight million gallons.
“We shall continue to water up to The Showcase. The forecast is for five to six millimetres of rain from John Kettley though others are forecasting more.
“For us to have ground approaching good for October 14, we will need some help from on high.
“Temperatures here on Sunday peaked at 29 degrees. So that really does produce difficult conditions to water and added to that there was quite a strong wind.
“The course is certainly looking good and I am confident we will have it in excellent shape by the time we start on Friday week.
“Moving the second last fence on the Old Course into the straight last season was a great success in terms of reducing the number of fallers.
“There were some concerns earlier this year about the numbers of people in the parade ring - we are limited to 373 in terms of the available area. We have a strict badging policy for owners and trainers but there are a lot of metal badges which allow access.
“We are increasing the vantage points around the parade ring for metal badge holders to try and discourage them from going into the parade ring.
“There will not be an additional seventh race at the 2012 Festival - we added the Jewson Novices’ Chase this year which proved a great success.
“We host at Cheltenham 46 of the Pattern races during a season and one of those, the three mile, three and a half furlong chase at The International in December, has been upgraded to Grade Three.
“The success of pony racing in producing jockeys has prompted us to have a race at the April meeting for pony racing graduates.
“We are also looking at staging an additional mares race then too. This is to help promote the retention of mares in training. We have agreed a two and a half mile Listed novices hurdle for mares on the Thursday alongside the mares bumper and mares handicap hurdle
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