CHELTENHAM Festival bosses have announced the biggest changes in years to racing’s most famous meeting.
Key races have been fundamentally altered, new ticket offers will be launched… and bosses will even open a sports bar on-site for punters.
A load of changes to next year’s Cheltenham Festival have been brought in to improve the experience for fans and make the racing more competitive[/caption]
Bosses are looking to give punters value for money and make some of the races more enticing betting propositions[/caption]
There’s been a ‘small increase’ in the cost of a pint of Guinness – but it shouldn’t stop punters flocking to Prestbury Park in March next year.
THE SUN RACING MEMBERS ENCLOSURE
The only place to get Templegate’s tips first – and at the best prices – is by joining Sun Racing’s brilliant Members Enclosure.
Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winning team and get…
- Four free racing tickets, four times a year – worth £300
- Templegate’s daily tips at the BEST prices before anyone else
- Tomorrow’s copy of The Favourite at 9pm today
- Exclusive insights from Andrew Balding and Hayley Turner
- VIP competitions from Racing Breaks each month
- New customer offer with Coral
Become a member today for just £1*
*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.
18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk
Especially with a raft of new measures approved to make the action on the track even better.
Racing fans have already been rocked with the news the Turners Novices’ Chase – the key Grade 1 over 2m4f – was being downgraded to a handicap, forcing thousands of bets to be voided.
But other seismic changes brought in for the Festival include the Cross Country Chase – won by legends such as Tiger Roll and Delta Work – being made a handicap too.
While the famous ‘State Man rule’ has been extended, meaning unexposed horses must now run at least four times over fences or five over hurdles before going into a non-novice handicap.
While all this will have a massive knock-on effect for punters, it’s believed the changes will make the races more competitive – the ‘best taking on the best’ – and attract bigger fields.
The National Hunt Chase, previously contested by amateurs, will be opened up to professional jockeys and made a handicap as well.
The changes have been confirmed with the aim of improving the raceday experience for the 68,500 punters expected to attend every day of the four-day spectacular.
Restrictions will be lifted on the areas pints can be taken and a new ‘sports bar-style space’ – showing all sports as well as racing on TVs – will be opened in the main grandstand.
Perfect festival will never return
By STEVE MULLEN (TEMPLEGATE)
I’M not sure whether Claudio Ranieri was involved with the changes to the Cheltenham Festival . . . but so far they look more the work of a tinkerman rather than the big change many think is needed.
We’re assured there are more tweaks to come but, on the positive side, I think making the Cross-Country Chase a handicap is a wise move.
I know the O’Learys have said that would have stopped Tiger Roll running in it but it definitely makes the quirky contest more of a punting challenge. The past eight runnings have been won by one of the first three in the betting and Delta Work was only 11-10 last year.
Making the race a handicap should mean more of the field have a realistic chance – although it may divert horses from the Grand National I suppose.
Making the Turners a handicap should push the high-class novices into the Arkle or Brown Advisory and strengthen those two races which have been in danger of becoming too predictable.
I don’t think upping the number of runs needed to qualify for a Festival handicap hurdle will make much difference. Those who try to hide their hand will just have to do it for one more race.
For those of us who preferred it that way, we have to acknowledge that the Festival will never go back to the three near-perfect days of the 1990s.
But hopefully among changes yet to be announced will be more measures to push the best horses together – especially as so many of them are concentrated in a handful of yards.
Take a look at the mares’ novice races for example – they should surely be handicaps and maybe don’t allow the winners of the mares’ Grade 1 races defend their title – make them take on the boys with the weight allowance the following season.
It’s fine for the best horses to avoid each other earlier in the season but we want high-profile clashes at Cheltenham.
Ticket prices for 2025 have been frozen at 2024 levels and a new deal with local hotels will help tackle extortionate prices – where rooms regularly go for over £1,000 a night – during raceweek.
For the first time ever, a multi-day Cheltenham Festival ticket has been introduced, meaning racegoers buying a ticket get 20 per cent off an additional day (excluding Gold Cup day).
Prices of a pint have been held for the past two years but there will be a ‘small increase’ for 2025, with a Guinness being £7.80, up 30p from this year.
A new ‘meal deal’ has been introduced and the car parks will be improved after there was ‘absolute bedlam’ when a load of motors got stuck in the mud last year.
Legendary jockey Ruby Walsh was consulted as part of the review and praised the changes.
He said: “The Turners Novices’ Chase and National Hunt Chase won’t be conditions races going forward and that should increase the competition and the quantity of runners in both the Arkle and the Brown Advisory.
“They should become more competitive races and there should be more quality and more clashes. Hopefully, the fans will find them more entertaining.
Elephant in the room remains
By JACK KEENE
WE’VE been asking for changes to the Cheltenham Festival and the Jockey Club have listened.
From March 2025, the Turners’ Novices Chase, National Hunt Chase and Cross Country will all be turned into handicaps.
The alteration to the Turners is a particularly welcome move, as removing its status as a Grade 1 will help funnel the best novice chasers into either the Arkle over two miles or Broadway over three.
However, it is a pity that the mares’ races, in particular the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle, have been largely untouched, as I would have supported any changes that encouraged owners and trainers to run their top-class mares in the Champion Hurdle instead.
While the changes are a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen if anyone within racing’s corridors of power will do anything to address the gigantic elephant in the room – namely the domination of Willie Mullins and a handful of Irish trainers.
Perhaps more significantly, the track are set to make some major changes off the track after an unacceptably poor experience for thousands of punters last season.
The car parks turned into mudbaths and plenty of fans stayed away because of high ticket, hotel and food prices.
Willie especially is stacked in every department, and these tweaks to the programme, while potentially creating a few more interesting betting races, are unlikely to disrupt his dominance of the Festival’s feature races and increase competition, which is something we all want to see.
The course have taken the negative feedback on board, which is welcome news.
The Jockey Club needed to act to arrest the sliding attendance figures and improve the product on the track.
They could have gone further, but this is at least an encouraging start.
“All the changes are geared towards making the races more competitive. The aim is to attract as many of the best horses as possible to run at the Cheltenham Festival and for them to run in the right races.”
While Cheltenham boss Ian Renton said: “As with any event of this size, it is never possible to make changes which are welcomed by everyone.
“However, we have prioritised listening to our racegoers to put them and their experiences at the heart of The Festival, with the ultimate goal of delivering something that not only meets but exceeds expectations.”
The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the horse racing season – and the biggest meeting all year.
Betting has been taking place on it since the last festival finished more than six months ago.
Punters try to get on fancied horses at big prices in the hope of landing some tasty winners when the racing comes round.
The 2023 renewal proved particularly valuable for footie legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp.
Sir Alex was £275,000 better off after two of his horses won – and he celebrated with an unlikely mate who stars in Coronation Street.
Redknapp also won a decent pot after his horse Shakem Up’Arry won the Plate Handicap Chase.
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
