Cheltenham festival weds -sat concept discussion

Racegoers left during covid and many won't return, either dead or fed up of being ripped-off.

Pack the place out on a Saturday with more non-racing fans, ruining it for the genuine racing ran, to make a few more quid.

The blind leading the blind

The cost of staying there is ridiculous compared to the same Hotels when the Festival is not on.
Like "Wall Street" where greed is good.
I hope they go to the wall

Met Lavendar on Wednesday
He didint mention this at ALL

Probably using his mcc experience
to spool up the costs of the FESTIVAL

I think you may be right Swifty.
Just get the students in to buy food and overpriced pishwater.
They'll be betting on their phones.

Didn't the third day used to be a Saturday ?

I only remember it as Wednesday - Friday but possibly in the 60's/70's. Wed - Sat is a terrible idea as the racing would have to be switched to ITV4 on the Sat due to clash with the 6 Nations rugby. Won't happen. BHA need to lay down the law here. Racecourses far too much power.

It was Tuesday to Thursday until about 20 years ago.

Strangely the 1964 Gold Cup……Arkle v Mill House was run on a Saturday.

Quite incredible that in 1964 the bbc requested the fixture to be Thursday Friday Saturday so they could show arkle v mill house the racecourse delivered there request.

I don’t remember Wednesday to Friday coneygree only Tuesday to Thursday.

I really do hope it stays Tuesday to Friday as at the moment 75% of the fixture is a pleasant experience if they went Wednesday Saturday then only 50% would be pleasant

Saturday,Uttoxeter National clash,they wont be happy.

No they won’t Penzance and rightly so kempton also has races that day for horses who didn’t get in at Cheltenham although that’s no history or tradition behind it.

From a tv point of view competing with the 6 nations is futile l

They can't squeeze enough out of the meeting.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Absolutely Penzance which surprises me because I can’t see a full house on Saturday with much less hospitality having a bigger all round turnover than the Tuesday .

From my point of view the only plus is a better journey home Saturday

Yes I remember watching Mill House v Arkle on what must have been a Sat as otherwise I doubt I would have had an excuse to bunk off school.
Actually I think in that case the racecourse were right to give in to the BBC but I might be biased of course   

they need it banged out all 4 days
not 40k on a weds ie day 2

Not sure which days it took place on when it first started, but 1964 the only Saturday in more recent times.

It wouldn't bother me which day it was on. It's more of a question for those who still attend. The Derby moved to a Saturday so it's probably a surprise the Festival has stayed in place for so long. Never understood the fuss over the Six Nations.

"We can't be traditional forever"
No, and when you diluted it by stretching it out over 4 days, adding meaningless races which left trainers with too many options, ya royally f4ck3d it up.
With the prospect of less NH horses entering the scene (Blakey has expressed his concerns recently) in years to come, we'll see how the 4 day regime pans out be it Tues/Fri or the ground-breaking weds/Sat.
good luck.

Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday would be more welcome tbh…..imo….

Fodder cash always in their thoughts….

saturday gold cup ? great idea . i mean, look how well it went for the derby . hmmm......

If they do change it then have all the Handicaps on A Saturday and and just have 6 top grade races a day on the other three.

Probably the Gold cup should be run at
UTTOXER

After the Midlands Grand NATIONAL

How many on here actually go to Festival ? Normally lots of negativity and excuses why you wouldn’t bother as it’s the worst place in world.
Not big issue if they move Weds - Sat to be honest as long as they keep reduced crowd sizes as they are. I’ll be there all week as long as I can.

What's the upside meant to be? GC day is the one that there's no problems filling anyway.

what a poor idea, look what happened to attendances at the Derby when they moved it from a wednesday to the saturday.
should move the festival back to the 3 days on tue, wed and thur

Most of the reasons why the festival appears to be in decline can't be easily reversed. WM domination, nope. Overkill, nope. It won't be slimmed down and there won't be less racing on the telly.

Most purists would prefer it revert to a better quality 3 day meeting.

won't happen. perhaps something radical like 7 day final decs for graded races. at least would allow for proper previews. trainers and jockeys would hate it obs

Met the Lavendar guy Wednesday
His all new proposals ALL
relate to the NEW punters(on phone)
ergo-Club 18-30 MOB

Anyone over 35 is NOT considered
worth talking too

Shambolic starting procedures.

Artificial round preparation.

False going reports.

Inflated over-rounds.

Multiple single horse entries.

Handicap system from two different countries.

Highly dubious SP system.


The gentle art of deception .... Lets start addressing the real reasons for once.

Excellent post Nocturnal

Yes, good reminder, getting the starts right should be the top priority for any changes. Not heard anything on how that is going to be achieved.

How did it go when the Derby was moved .? Disastrous.  Why would this be any different?

Exactly Nocturnal , the multiple entries fiasco is worse every year , force them to choose and pay big bucks for a supplementation .

If they do change it then have all the Handicaps on A Saturday and and just have 6 top grade races a day on the other three.

This is 100% correct. They tell us that we all want the extra handicaps so what could be better than putting them all on the Saturday. Be a proper 3 days of racing Wed-Fri then.

Should revert back to 3 days only, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
And move back the Derby to midweek.

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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….

They even gave the two year old a blast of disco vomit before the Nunthorpe…..

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.

Have to agree with the Mullins rule tbh…

Nicholls and Henderson falling apart….Skelton promising….

Olly Murphy not much of a threat….

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.

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

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

Would not mind at all if the got shut of The Cross Country Chase. Never been a fan. Last race on the Saturday otherwise.

he will just move on,…………..and pursue other projects.  At least that used to be the double-speak.

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.

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.

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 

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.

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

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

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.

Badsworth boy started of with snowy wainwright I think it’s the best horse he ever trained

I’ve been visiting racecourses for four decades,a long list……apart from Cheltenham…..

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 .

Even then paulo I imagine it’s not easy.

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!

No Jimnast , especially if some silly sod backed the last race winner and wanted to collect , thank god for exchanges .

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

Oil SNAKE about to talk on itv

What a bozo.  “We had a great festival last year.  I’ve only been in the job nine months”.  How does he know then? 

He’s a smug, sneering looking so d isn’t he?

Fridays attendance looks very SPARSE
Today

Cut the PRICES more

with every year that passes cheltenham looks more & more like a busted flush imo

I agree.  100%.

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.

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.

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.

Look at Glastonbury,similar evolution.


Christ, a racyst wokefest dripping with hypocrisy. Let's hope not.

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.

Cud envisage Thurs-Sun , two types of racegoers ...

Fodder cash is more important…..

Name a sport or sporting ground which really cares for the fodder ?

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.

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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