The Changes?

These are the changes for 2025 (with my view in brackets), written 5th February -

1. The 2m 4f Turners (Golden Miller) Novices’ Chase will be replaced by a Grade 2 Limited Novice Handicap Chase over the same distance. (Not convinced that those who would have taken part in the Grade 1 version will move up or down in distance as people assume. May just go to Aintree and Fairyhouse. The best novices rarely run in novice handicap hurdles or chases).

2. The National Hunt Chase will become a Class 2 Novice Handicap Chase (0-145), with amateur rider restrictions for jockeys removed to allow professionals to take part. (The one I disliked the most but it might be an age thing. Should have changed the conditions back to the old 4 miler, Rith Dubh etc. Amateurs may now have trouble getting a mount).

3. The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will be changed from a conditions race to a Limited Handicap. (20lbs span. No issues. GE and Gigginstown have had it a bit easy for quite some time).

4. The race conditions for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle will be changed to remove the penalty structure, resulting in a level weights contest. (Yes, prevents the Dysart Enos nonsense from last year).

5. From 2023 any horse finishing in the first four of a qualifying race for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle has been eligible for the race at The Festival. From 2025 the race conditions will be altered to provide a guaranteed run in the Pertemps Final for all winners of series qualifiers (provided they are within the weights at declaration stage). (Yes, good idea, might get a qualifier winner winning the final. Six day decs stage might be fun. Very accommodating sponsors who continue to do a fantastic job of supporting NH Racing in these islands).

6. Currently horses must have run at least three times (chases) or four times (hurdles) to be eligible to run in non-novice handicaps at The Festival. From 2025, this will be increased to four chase and five hurdle runs. (No issue, as Ruby says, novices should run against novices).

7. The Jockey Club will be increasing prize money over the four days by £115,000, taking the total on offer at the Cheltenham Festival to £4,930,000 in 2025. Prize money for all the Cheltenham Festival races will be published in due course. (They probably don't have the cash but not enough imho. Should increase all prize money to levels that these races are hard to turn down for any owner or trainer. Therefore no handicaps should go unfilled, no one should consider the Betfair Hurdle, the Imperial Cup, Aintree, Fairyhouse or Punchestown a better financial incentive).

8. The feature race every Festival Day will be no sooner than the 5th race each day and is go off at 4pm. (Love this, been shouting about it for years. Build to the crescendo).

FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

A number of changes are being made to try and improve the experience for racegoers attending Festival. These include less chance of the car park being a bog, new large park and ride system from 20 locations with National Express buses. (On the 2023 Tuesday friends got off the Birmingham Train at 1100. The bus took 90 minutes to get through Cheltenham town centre). You can bring your drink outside in Tatts. (Really? is this vital?).More meal deals to be offered (I have experienced the Dreal Deal tickets on big days at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse. For 45 euro, you get in, programme, pint, £5 tote bet and some fast food. A very reasonable innovation). And they froze the tickets prices to 2024 levels, gave discounts for big parties. Have entered into an 'exciting new partnership' with leading sports tour operator Venatour Racing, which will give racegoers the opportunity to purchase discounted packages including tickets, hotels, travel and more in a one-stop shop initiative. (Good luck with that one).

By and large, the evidence shows that they have listened to people who have the best interests of the Festival at heart. The changes may produce more competitive racing and give GB trainers more chance to win some races.

MY OWN IDEA - Both the Coral Cup and the County should impose similar qualification conditions to the Pertemps. Increase the prize money to Galway Hurdle standards. Make those races 'finals'. NH Racing in these islands has a plethora of Cl2 and above rated handicap hurdles from 2m to 2m 4f. I submit that it wouldn't be too difficult to produce qualification criteria for these two big Festival handicaps. Even less chance of that hidden light under the bushel. (see Langer Dan).

JUST TO REFRESH - THE PAST - 'THREE DAYS, IT WAS FAR BETTER' - I still believe that we tend to look at past Festivals through rose-tinted spectacles. We remember what we want to remember and block out what we don't.

Here's a few examples. As I say, I first went in 1985. Brand new suit and shoes, in awe of Prestbury Park. That bit hasn't changed. In 1984 Badsworth Boy had won his third QM. A five-runner field, prices 4/5 the winner (came home alone), 5/4 Bobsline (F three out) and whatever price you wanted for the rest. No Ryanair then, remember. If there had been social media (and Corals' James Knight in particular), there would have been uproar as to the weakness of the division. The penultimate Festival race was the Cathcart, a small field novicey conditions chase thing. Usually a short priced fav, no one bar Rory Delargy would have had a clue as to the entry criteria. At least one of the field had already run unsuccessfully in the previous two days. A pause before we all geared up for the County, the final race of the week. I watched See You Then and the magnificent Istabraq between them stroll six poor enough, uncompetitive Champion Hurdles. Can you imagine the uproar on social media in 2024 if Browne's Gazette's 1985 unfortunate start at 8/13 had happened last week? Katchit, Punjabi? Royal Gait, a nine year old novice, Alderbrook had raced once before over hurdles. Surely State Man with 11 Grade 1s and a second to Constitution Hill is a better champion hurdler than those?

Let's return to 1979 and the ill-fated Golden Cygnet, one of the most visually impressive winners of the Supreme. Ever. Everyone looks back to the Cygnet. Immense potential. Well, they went 4/5 the winner, 8s Western Rose, 12s bar. 18 runners. He hacked it. 15 lengths. Western Rose was 2nd. His previous run was to be beaten in a 2m 4f Haydock h'cap hurdle. He was the Supreme second favourite to the Cygnet, remember. Third home was a 33/1 four yr old, Bootlaces. It seems that Bootlaces was only running because he was likely to have been balloted out of the Triumph. That's correct, balloted out of a 30-runner Triumph Hurdle. Must have been some rubbish behind Bootlaces. With social media now, Golden Cygnet would have been fours on. The last three Supremes from 2022 to 2024 have been a helluva more competitive. Ted Walsh at the 2025 DRF said that Kopek Des Bordes best he'd seen since Golden Cygnet. I hope Kopek gets a chance to fulfill his potential. The Cygnet didn't.

More? Arkle beat one horse twice to win three Gold Cups. If he was racing now, they'd be calling for the Gold Cup to be turned into a handicap. Attivo in 1974 winning a 30 runner Triumph at odds on. Even worse than Inothewayurthinkin. One Man won an eight runner QM in 1998 when there was still no Ryanair Chase. Monsignor's rout of mainly social runners in the 2000 RSA Novice Hurdle. Unsinkable Boxer? Surely the Triumph has become a better and fairer race with the lesser quality heading for the Boodles? I'll stop now.

PS. This still gets me and might be an Irish thing. But we tend to go horse racing to watch horse racing.

Just back from Saturday at the DRF2025. Galopin Des Champs's 3rd Irish Gold Cup. Last year I went to Cheltenham for the January Trials Day, Lossiemouth, Paisley Park (aagh), Sir Gino et al. A great day out. 20000 people in attendance. Just nice, an easy crowd. Spent all day running between parade ring, then watch the race, then to parade ring to watch them back in, to bookies shop to watch Doncaster, then back to parade ring to watch them go out for the next. I had little time for anything else. Stood at the second spot to weep when Paisley Park returned. Return flight from Belfast, overnight accommodation, car rental, petrol and a £30 entance ticket all for just over £200. What value!

I like a Guinness or three. I don't particularly like drinking poorly poured pints out of a plastic cup at £7.50, but I understand that beer at a racecourse is unlikely to be cheap. When attending the Festival, I make sure to eat a hearty breakfast. In March it is not that easy to get in, travel and board from N Ireland gets expensive and it costs a lot more for a ticket. When there, I will have a couple of beers before racing. If I think the child who has poured the pint may be on his/her first day working behind a bar, I might gently suggest that they have another go at filling the container to the top. I will not immediately take a photo of it to indignantly post on social media. I rarely seem to have the time or inclination to eat anything on course and I could not be bothered to try and sneak sandwiches in with me. What is that all about? Pinno tells me that expenses for every Festival bookmaking pitch is now approaching £1000 per day. I am sure that all those burger bars/coffee bars/pizza sellers also have to pay a pretty hefty premium to be on course. These vans are unlikely to be 'cordon bleu.' Good luck to them and to all those who spend their time posting pictures of a burger with which they are unhappy.

Food and beverages are not my reason for attending. I will eat and drink well each evening. In 2023 I was fortunate enough to be around the parade ring for that ConstitutionHill/Honeysuckle hour. What a privilege. As Honeysuckle appeared to the roars, I happened to look up at that expensive pizza van that sits above and between the two parade rings. I paused and thought, no Bryan, it's not your business how that queue of 50 people spend their time. GO AND LOOK AT THE HORSES.