CHELTENHAM Festival – horse racing’s biggest meeting – will remain over four days after bosses scrapped plans for a controversial fifth.
An extensive consultation has been held on the benefit of adding an extra day’s racing from 2024.
Racing’s biggest meeting which attracts more than 70,000 punters a day will remain over four days
Punters had led the calls for no fifth day citing fears over the product being diluted
But, citing the ‘uncertain economic’ times and fears of the impact more races would have on the track, the Festival will stick with its current format.
Ian Renton, who runs Cheltenham Racecourse as Managing Director of The Jockey Club’s West Region, explained the call.
He said: “At The Jockey Club we care deeply about the long-term future of our sport and its role in society.
“That’s a mission that enables us to think differently when making decisions.
“While we explored the financial benefits and an opportunity to reach new audiences, we also found a number of counterpoints to this.
“For example it is clear that it would be challenging from a turf management perspective, without further work on the track, and on balance we still feel 28 races over four days is the right format.
“This research allows us to do much more than simply answer the question of whether extending the Festival is the right thing to do.
“We will now evaluate all the insight with a view to improving our facilities, investing in new on-course activations and giving our fanbase, participants, owners and other stakeholders the best possible experience at Cheltenham Racecourse.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who has taken part in this process and have welcomed the opportunity to listen to racehorse owners, participants, Jockey Club colleagues, the local community, our partners, loyal racing fans and many others with a passion for our sport and The Festival.”
Punters who base their entire year around those four days in March had led the calls for no fifth day.
Cheltenham was increased from three days to four in 2005 and warnings over races being diluted with less quality were loud then.
The plan, now scrapped, was for a fifth day of racing to be held on the Saturday from 2024.
The Festival is always run from Tuesday, starting with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and ends on Gold Cup day on Friday.
It was thought an extra day’s racing would be a massive financial boost to The Jockey Club, especially with the event being the third most attended sporting occasion in the country.
But it appears those warnings over a weaker product on the track have been heard, as well as the other concerns highlighted in the review.
Some 280,627 punters attended the Festival last year – a record number.
There were also record days on Thursday – always held on St Patrick’s Day – and the Friday of 73,754 and 73,875 respectively.
The crowd will be capped at 68,500 next March in an attempt to make racedays a more enjoyable experience.
In March there was outrage over the price of a pint and the queues for toilets.
