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Cheltenham festival weds -sat concept discussion
Cheltenham festival weds -sat concept discussion
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Should revert back to 3 days only, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And move back the Derby to midweek. That would be the sensible option… They don’t do sensible anymore…. Check the football calendar….. Fodder and their cash make millionaires…. |
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They even gave the two year old a blast of disco vomit before the Nunthorpe…..
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One of the problems I see is that the "corporates" aren't over-keen on Fridays and Saturday is a no-no. Whether this sector forms much of their food and drink budget I wouldn't know.
Irish travel agents reported that the majority of their business for Cheltenham is travel out on a Monday and return Thursday morning. I can't see the liklehood of this changing to a Tuesday morning out and a Sunday return. More relevant to racing fans, whether they go or not, is the dilution of the meeting as many have pointed out. There are also plenty of commercial reasons (expensive to eat, drink or stay in the vicinity) to put people off attending. Sadly the Mullins issue is here to stay for the foreseeable future as long as his dominance continues but for me it is at the detriment of the festival. Personally I much preferred the 3 day event and would love this to return (Tue to Thur) - as would my kindeys. |
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Have to agree with the Mullins rule tbh…
Nicholls and Henderson falling apart….Skelton promising…. Olly Murphy not much of a threat…. |
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It is all a PR stunt.
The overwhelming reaction will be a no to moving to a Saturday. They can then say, we have listened to the fans and we are keeping it as it is. |
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100% WRONG
As previously noted Met Lavendar on Wednesday He set out the future of The Festival Not 1 mention of Saturday racing Why? Because its a DONE DEAL This mcc executive thinks he walks on water When Saturday crowds dont materlse like the Derbi He will just move ON  |
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They all just move on with a big well done regardless of the mess they leave behind don’t know which is worse jcr or the bha
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Would not mind at all if the got shut of The Cross Country Chase. Never been a fan. Last race on the Saturday otherwise.
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he will just move on,…………..and pursue other projects. At least that used to be the double-speak.
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Wish I had a fiver for each time someone comes on and says they preferred three days. It's probably the same posters, but if you say it a million times it's never going to happen.
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A problem the festival has which seldom gets a mention is how difficult it is to get away by car if your staying say 30 minutes away you need to expect at least 90 minutes possibly longer ,yet at royal Ascot which is not much bigger than a large village if you 30 minutes away it might take 40 minutes,this has been the case for many many years yet Cheltenham has never improved the situation.
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chelt tues - thur
newmarket july fest tues - thurs dewhurst meeting tues - friday york ebor tues - thurs champions stakes back to newmarket fillies mile - back to ascot start the flat season back to doncaster on thurs - sat craven tues - thurs chester vase meeting tues - thurs epsom derby wed derby - sat oaks wonderful midweek days  |
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Don’t forget the Jim ford and kingwell hurdle Thursday also Warwick had an excellent midweek card and in 1988 produced the winners of both the sun alliance chase and sun alliance hurdle ,haydock midweek winter fixtures would always get the likes of wayward lad,silver buck,suny bay and forgive n forget.
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its not in chelt racecourse or Cheltenham town,s interests to get anyone away from the course quickly,they want you in racecourse bars till 90 mins after racing and then in to town afterwards
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bregawn seemed to be a regular midweek performer, but as for badsworth boy etc hendo always says the 2 mile division is mapped out for you so all the 2 mile big races must have been on a Saturday.boxig day etc
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1st time poster people are not in bars they are just sat in cars unable to move as I say there’s no problem at royal Ascot where they also have bars.
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Badsworth boy started of with snowy wainwright I think it’s the best horse he ever trained
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I’ve been visiting racecourses for four decades,a long list……apart from Cheltenham…..
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Were in members car park for years and then graduated to the ' house drive ' parking down the road , but in all cases the last race was watched on the big screen very close to the exits .
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Even then paulo I imagine it’s not easy.
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I am one who very much preferred the traditional “three days”, and have to qualms in saying so - whether it is ever going to happen again or not.
Once very much a fundamental festival of horse racing excellenc3 it has been morphed into something totally commercialised with concern 100% focussed around the income as opposed to the outcome. Excellent news features on the RP today, well worth a read, about the We’d. to Sat. debate - the comment by David Watt, Brighton, very interesting. Regards to all, whatever you passionate opinion. At least we are still passionate about it! |
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No Jimnast , especially if some silly sod backed the last race winner and wanted to collect , thank god for exchanges .
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Leave it as it is as to many idiots go racing on a saturday and have boycotted going now on a weekend.Most are not proper race goers
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Oil SNAKE about to talk on itv
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What a bozo. “We had a great festival last year. I’ve only been in the job nine months”. How does he know then?
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He’s a smug, sneering looking so d isn’t he?
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Fridays attendance looks very SPARSE
Today Cut the PRICES more  |
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with every year that passes cheltenham looks more & more like a busted flush imo
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I agree. 100%.
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Every big festival has gone to a Saturday.
Cheltenham,is the biggest festival ,14/20 betting races of the year are at chelt.the hunter chase being in that stat.because it’s after the gold cup. If they moved the Wednesday to Saturday,it would be the 2nd biggest day after the national. If the moved gold cup day to the Saturday,it would still be the 2nd biggest day after the national,but it might push it close. Given Cheltenham is hidden away in march,mid week,it’s amazing how much it punches above its weight. Bigger than all the big Saturdays bar national. They say,footy and rugby would impact, Yes it would,not on chelt,but on the footy and rugby. Every single bettor,fringe racing fan looks at chelt. If they moved the gold cup to Saturday,it would impact on the once a year national public. But chelt don’t need to move the gold cup,has it’s maxed out anyway, So the quiet Wednesday would still max out. It depends what they want. Biggest day for nation,move the gold cup Bigger day for chelt,just move the Wednesday. They need to replace the Tuesday with a non festival,hcp day ,for all the horses ballotted out of the 6 hcps,3 hurdles,3 chases. If the national gets 8 million viewers,the gold cup would get 6 million.4 million if the Wednesday moved. Cheltenham is bigger than 1 days prem fixtures and rugby games.they d move around it. |
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Completely lost me, sry. Are you advocating the Saturday or otherwise?
Does anybody think that the great people who originally created, grew, nurtured and fully established the Festival deliberately kept it three days midweek to keep the plebs out? Just a thought not a regret but a great example imo of once you put a thin end of a wedge in there is no way back. |
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The best solution for the industry is Saturday gold cup,massive national day.
The best solution for Cheltenham is Wednesday moved to Saturday. They want the plebs,cos they spend.why can’t everyone enjoy it, Look at Glastonbury,similar evolution. |
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Look at Glastonbury,similar evolution.
Christ, a racyst wokefest dripping with hypocrisy. Let's hope not. |
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A few years ago the festival was criticised for being too busy. People could not get a drink, food, use the toilets etc.
Now it is not busy enough. A common complaint in recent years is the expense of attending. But all live events these days a ridiculously overpriced. Cheltenham is no different. As a horse racing fan the dilution of the graded races is my only gripe. But that is something that will never change. The reduction in the number of horses being bred and the lure to sell staying horses off the flat to foreign lands adds to the dwindling horse population. |
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Cud envisage Thurs-Sun , two types of racegoers ...
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Fodder cash is more important…..
Name a sport or sporting ground which really cares for the fodder ? |
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Much of the premier sporting events are on a weekend. I don't have any huge issues with moving a day to a Saturday, or a Sunday, though there's a danger the showpiece race on the Saturday may feel like just another race.
I think the move from the tight three-day meeting to the bloated four-day event is a bigger issue. |
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Most of the fodder still prefer Wednesday Derby,Thursday Gold Cup…..
Regards football I think Newcastle faced a late evening kickoff last season (London area) ……Satellite rule…… Good old hike from the East coast down to the dangerous land…. |
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