Cheltenham Festival announces biggest changes in years with key races altered… and the new price of a pint

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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.

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.