Is this the worst Festival for years.??

Is this the worst reoccurring thread every year - Cheltenham or otherwise?
1) Always comes up no matter what.
2) No event today is as good as anything that happened in the past and never will be.
3) Lets all talk about how great things were in the past (when they weren't) and bang on about it on yet another thread and bore everyone under 50 to death shall we?

Have a great festival young and old!

More likely to go to five days than back to three. Mares chase, 2.5 mile championship hurdle, another impossible handicap, fillies bumper, novices x-country, 3 mile chase as a bridge for those caught in Ryanair/Gold Cup limbo. Can't wait!

No this is the start of the next era of top class jumpers. Spot them and benefit.

It'd be easier to count the years someone hasn't done this thread

What too difficult to find winners on heavy ground, then you mention Faugheen/Douvan surely on decline & in the next breath you say Champion hurdle is a one horse race, make your mind up you either want a competitive race or you don't

Oh dear me ! Pumphol read the thread - No where do i mention "difficult to find winners on heavy ground" ??? I merely state it will be soft /heavy ground - which my definition leads to a poorer spectacle.
I hope it will be the start of a new era of top class jumpers - unfortunately we are currently in a lull , look at the last 2/3 gold cups.

It has changed for the worst imo and there are plenty of reasons. The move to 4 days and padding out these days has been at the expense of both quality and a sense that each and every race meant something i.e they were either championship races or handicaps with a degree of plotting up from a wide group of trainers and owners.

This is not just the fault of Cheltenham but sadly ownership has become so polarised that the handicaps will often have 12 runners from 3 owners. Odds on favourites from this owner group are now the norm rather than the exception. I will go just for a couple of days to meet friends but for the first time ever I bought the members badge without the festival and cant say I am waiting with any sense of anticipation for Tuesday.

Thought last years was poor quality wise the whole thing doesn't excite me he way it did when it was the 3 days who cares who wins the ryanair it's just for horses not fast enough for the champion chase and not enough stamina for the gold cup what's the point.

if you don't care what wins the ryanair then you're in the wrong place...

personally I attended all three days of festival each year from 1990 to 2002 (except 1990 when living/working in US) but when it went to four days, I couldn't take it physically (early starts/late nights too much drink and heavy food) and mentally (used to come with the tuesday selections sorted from monday, then tuesday night focussed on wednesdays card and repeat wednesday night and long journey back home thursday evening)..that a three day members ticket went from around £150 to more than £250 when it went 4 days plus additional night accommodation made some difference too..now i spend less money travelling, with more choice of accommodation and go to aintree instead and the thursday of that meeting is at least (for me) the equivalent of CH day at Festival in terms of quality...

if they indeed go 5 days then the golden goose will fall to earth big time...

1986 to 2002

Haven't missed a festival for 37 years, will park the car on Monday and pick it up later on Saturday assuming blood/alcohol levels back to normal and will attend another 37 liver permitting.

Take a week abroad, all you doom merchants.

If you see no point in the Ryanair then presumably you would scrap al races over 2.5 miles. You might as well say that the Champion Stakes is for horses not good enough to win Group1 over a mile or 1.5 miles. It is just a different discipline and I can't see a problem. The Champion chase rarely has more than 3 horses with any realistic chance (only one this year) so you would get a small field whether the Ryanair was there or not. The old Cathcart was a good race but there were too many weight allowances to make it a Grade 1. If any races could be dropped it would be the Fred Winter, Martin Pipe, novice handicap chase, Kim Muir etc. Still too many handicaps.

For me its a race for maybe or past it horses nobody ever said when it was 3 days what the festival needs is a grade 1 2m5f race it was only put there to pad it for a 4 day festival nothing else lets face it the thurs is the worst day quality wise for me.

3 days on the settee quaffing Champagne and eating rubbish, walk up pub after last race every day, Friday all day in pub, lovely

thought this was about glastonbury

I like the 4 days. An extra day at Cheltenham and more class horses to watch and bets to place.

I suspect people will review Chelters after they check p/l for the week. Have had so many amazing days/nights and been there to witness eye watering moments; Kauto Star regaining the GC, Spinter Sacre bringing the house down when regaining his crown, Altior powering home to win a super strong Supreme when I backed him to the hilt!

Giddyup!

Agree to an extent with OP.  Too much dilution starves us of deep clashes and instead we ended up with only 2/3 with realistic chances in some of the big events.  Cheltenham should be about championship racing but all we are doing is creating 'false' champions. 

If no Ryanair this year we could have Un De Sceaux serving it up to Altior.  Cue Card could have gone to Gold Cup.

I think the two races in the Festival that are surplus to requirement are Ryanair and Mares - they are a waste of time and space only benefitting the bookies and racecourse.

This Festival could deliver some future champions eg Footpad (Champion Chase) and Samcro and Presenting Percy both who'd not be out of place in the Gold Cup next year and after; they are horses with immense potential that could easily reach the top in just a few years' time, I believe.

is that the mares race that produced such a cracker last year or do you mean the mares novice ?

Both, any mare, if good enough, ought to be running in the other races at the Festival - there is no need to create races specifically for mares.

wouldn't it be great to see apples jade running against the boys, just as it would have been for quevega.  look what happened when Annie Power was allowed take her chance in the champion!

with you saying 2 races i wondered which one of the mares you meant.

another non runner just crept in

OP =  Is this the worst Festival for years.??
------------

We had an IDENTICAL thread LAST year, too.

The prophets of doom are never far away on here.

TBF the quality of the GC has been on decline for years some very poor horses have managed to win over the last few years

casemoney

to be fair don cossack could have been very good but for injury and coonygree won as a novice,what it does make you realise and many on here could not help but knock the horse was what best mate achieved.

I don't care about the quality of the horses when it comes to the festival, its all about the racing no matter how good or bad the field is, personally these are the best horses in training at the moment and I will enjoy every second of it

foxy, as I recall on here they was always complaining as to how little Best Mate raced.

correct sparrow they never stopped banging on about how dessie and arkle ran in handicaps therefor were proper horses.

funny really the same people loved istabraq

The recent Henrietta Knight feature/interview on ATR was fantastic.

She displayed a far greater knowledge of horses, and how to train them, ride them, and what was best for them (as individuals) than many people have given her credit for, previously.

Well you could say the same about Kauto Star and all the recent winners. To compare with Arkle is just daft.

sparrow away from racing its 25 years she your great captain died where have those years gone.

they probably did say the same about kauto.

Actually it was 25 years last month foxy. I was there when Bobby first came into the side following Malcolm Allison's retirement due to illness. Such a wonderful player who made everything look so easy on the pitch.

i had the wireless on this afternoon i thought they said it was today must have meant first home game since the 25 years anniversary.either way he made the game look so easy just like beckenbeur.

Henrietta Knight feature still on the  www.attheraces.com website..

Enter the site > Scroll down to 'More News'

See - 'Latest attheraces Programmes' > click on the RIGHT-Hand Arrow - the Menu will move across.

The LAST Item  (with NO Photo) - click on ...

Jumpers & Bumpers

27th Feb 2018
Watch now

Yes I think it was the first home game since. He died on February 24th 1993

Henrietta Knight feature still on the  www.attheraces.com website..

Enter the site > Scroll down to 'More News'

See - 'Latest attheraces Programmes' > click on the RIGHT-Hand Arrow - the Menu will move across.

The LAST Item  (with NO Photo) - click on ...

Jumpers & Bumpers

27th Feb 2018
Watch now

BEST MATE story - from the intial first sighting in Ireland -  starts at around 28 minutes - after the Adverts.

Best Mate was the luckiest horse to ever look through a bridle.  I could name umpteen horses who won the Gold Cup only once that would tear him apart.  God help us if Native River wins this year.  Presumably running once in Feb will become the blueprint of how to train a Gold Cup winner?

Was Henrietta Knight the trainer of Master Oats when he was pulled up in a point-to-point?

cheltenham an absolute sh!thole taking the piss out of punters with ridiculous admission prices and poor viewing. watch it on the tv.

where's the place at chelt , a bear pit , large screen , phished punters

centaur usually full of pised up folk, watching on big screen.... usually easy to get a seat in the higher up bit in centaur, that's where I head before the cross country race and chill out for half an hour.....

Last few years has turned this gaff into a ****. Redevelopment has been a disaster. Pissed up fools ruining it for everyone. Mullins and Walsh multiple targets, late switches (Getabird confirmed for Albert Bartlett today ffs, grow up).  Anywhere within a 50m radius jacking up accommodation.  "Spring" ground being somewhere between soft to dead.  Freezing temps with nowhere to warm up. Price of RP goes up.  Decent horses not running for weeks beforehand (unless they're on the comeback and have to).  Trainers/owners running horses in the wrong races just to split them up and 'have two chances' when they should have had two chances in the same race, the fools. Bookie bollox suggesting they've laid X to lose Y when we all know they won't take a copper coin to a hanky the fav in the Gold Cup.  Ed and Oli telling us everything's wonderful.  Chapman thinking he's a judge when Samcro wins. Some coont standing in front of you in an over sized "Guiness/Paddy Power/Yeah I'm Oirish" hat that blocks your view of the screen as the tape goes up in the Champion Hurdle. Said screen ****g up even if you could see it.  Not being able to hear the commentary. Not giving a fook anyway cos Mike Cattermole's doing it. Thinking the price of a cheeseburger is edgy so settling for a Mars Bar at £2.50.

But it's the Festival and we love it

Have to admit this year I’m less disinterested in it.

Not sure why....maybe it’s all of the bubbles they have burst, withdrawals and lack of exciting clashes and rivalries. Maybe it’s ITV as well ie concentrating more on the here and now while not building up the Festival enough.

The Headmaster - Your post made me smile - but is so correct ...

All the reasons why myself and my mates are NOT going on our annual  outing this year.

The Cheltenham Executive have taken the 'Festival' AWAY from the RACEGOER ...

- in order to attract the 'day out' p!ssheads,

Ballcocks to to them - and more, and more, will think the same in years to come.

WD for doing the environment and oldie generation proud with the recycling that has gone on in this thread yet again. There is no need now for any of the 4-5 copycat threads that will pop up over the next few days (esp as people get a few losers) and they can all be ignored now.........

no time for threads to busy sifting through page after page of form for the 5 runner arkle,and 9 runner mares race

Douvan in Ryanair wow should be some race now

roll on Donny and the flat...proper racing

Will Marie be singing the rd too

boga
     11 Mar 18 10:22   

Douvan in Ryanair wow should be some race now




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Clarification on earlier tweet re Douvan. Willie Mullins has stressed that no final decision has been made on his target, but that the Ryanair Chase is being seriously considered. Apologies for the miscommunication.

listening to Richie on luck on sunday Ryanair looks fav

To the dementia addled, rose tinted glass wearing, yesterday was always better brigade, slagging off the Ryanair Chase, should we drop it and reinstate the good old Cathcart Chase?

The Ryanair is NOT an additional event justifying a 4th day, it is merely a vast improvement on its predecessor, although some on here would no doubt beg to differ.

cant understand the slagging of the Ryanair,cc ra and gc are all specialist distances, why shouldn't a 20 furlong plus horse have a championship race, on the flat its never mentioned the milers either run in the sprints or the 12furlong races, if this was around a few years ago one man
would of won two or three and been applauded for it

On the flat virtually every single furlong up to 2m has its own Grade 1 races, ffs!

The only problem with the Ryanair is it's named after a deeply unpopular budget airline run by an even more deeply unpopular man.  That's all Cheltenham's fault, of course not Ryanair's.  If they gave even the slightest whiff of recognition to it's proper handle maybe people would start to like it a bit more.

...and the unsavoury owner should be banned from investing billions in NH racing & breeding.

I like O’Leary

Wouldn't go that far Loper.  But maybe not everything in Racing should have a price above it's head. 

Assume you'd be happy to let Poundland sponsor the Gold Cup and drop Gold Cup from the title?  The Poundland Chase.  Catchy.

Difficult one, Headmaster.

Poundland doubling the prize money? I'd still call it the Gold Cup, I occasionally refer to the Ryanair as the Cathcart, and I still enjoy the Schweppes, my favourite hurdle race.

If it wasn't Poundland then it would be Ladbrokes, William Hill and worst of all Victor Chandler. I just had to check who was the current sponsor, I hadn't a clue, honestly.

Interesting how many people who have been to the Festival in the past are not going but it will still be sold out. I was an annual member for 30 years but no longer go. That is a function of age and infirmity and nothing to do with the racing or the course. When I was 40-50 years old, nothing would have stopped me going but the traffic jams, crowds, impossibility of getting food or drink etc. matter more as you get older. The clincher is the TV coverage which gives you so much more information than is available on course and of course the HD pictures have improved massively. Add to that the opportunities to bet from home and it is a no brainer these days. I don't really mind who sponsors the races so long as they attract the best horses.

It's not so much the dilution as all the best horses being in so few hands, imo.

Horses who would have given us epic contests this and in previous years if they had taken each other on are moved around like chess pieces to suit Mullins, Richie and in particular Walsh, not the natural career paths of the horses themselves.

Vroum Vroum Mag, who was a brilliant jumper of a fence, but spent most of her career hurdling so that Walsh could ride her, and Yorkhill, who would have been a natural for the Champion Hurdle but ended up novice chasing to avoid Faugheen, being two classic examples.

They are doing it again this year with Douvan and Benie Des Dieux...