Cheltz Fest 2021 Behind Closed Doors ?

[charlie]

So basically re the above, they are working through it, the Irish will be there, it just might cost them a few extra euro and they may have more difficulty getting back than getting here.

IMO the above is a massively positive step for most Irish horses running at Cheltenham. Of course there will be hard luck stories of smaller outfits who cannot shoulder the cost, but those are likely to be more obscure runners than would impact most of us less.

All systems go as far as I'm concerned.

[ToniC]

https://www.racingpost.com/news/memb...-waters/468292

Willie Mullins fears 'colossal' VAT costs as he tests UK's new travel waters

I'm told we have to pay 19 per cent of her value in VAT and we might not get that back for three months so that would be a bit of a worry

Connections sending horses from Ireland to race in Britain face a potentially "colossal" bill due to new VAT charges as a result of Brexit, trainer Willie Mullins warned on Thursday.

Mullins, whose Grangee will on Saturday become the first Irish-trained runner in Britain since the UK exited the European Union, said he has been informed he will have to pay VAT on the value of the horse. Although the charge is refundable, the payments are expected to take months to process by HMRC.

Pretty ironic given a major selling point of brexit was to cut through all the excessive beaurocracy & red tape . What an absurd situation to be in.

[Quevega]

Pretty ironic given a major selling point of brexit was to cut through all the excessive beaurocracy & red tape . What an absurd situation to be in.

Anyone who believed that one is a fucking idiot.

[Kevloaf]

Anyone who believed that one is a fucking idiot.

I don't believe anything unless I see it as a billboard style slogan on a bus.

[Quevega]

I don't believe anything unless I see it as a billboard style slogan on a bus.

Yep, ever since Wonderbra !

[Diamond Geezer]

Ian Renton on local radio an hour ago doesn't see even minimal spectators at the Festival, they still aren't issuing tickets and thinks it's touch and go whether even owners will be allowed to attend. They are positive about holding the Festival behind closed doors as it's a non contact sport and owing to strict protocols on the racecourse there hasn't been any cases of transmission between parties allowed into the racecourse.

[Diamond Geezer]

Seems various people have had hospitality cancelled too within the last couple of hours.

[Kevloaf]

Looks like a fat jockey zoom call it is then

[Jorvik]

Looks like a fat jockey zoom call it is then

I'm up for that if it's going to be a thing. Gives me an excuse to get a haircut too. Or further motivation to keep going for the mullet...

[Quevega]

I'm up for that if it's going to be a thing. Gives me an excuse to get a haircut too. Or further motivation to keep going for the mullet...

Just thinking exactly the same.

From the usual N05 on top NO2 sides and back, and now back to a kind of 90's Ian Brown, with some recession, and a lot of sideways movement.

By Mid March It'll be scary and might resemble a poor Patrick Swayze pastiche effort.

I daren't let the wife give me NO2 all over again, as the stress and time it took will live with me forever.

Imagine Danny Dyer with a mullet.

[Big Bucks]

Looks like a fat jockey zoom call it is then

Would be up for that. Put a face to members names!

Few cans?

[Kevloaf]

Yea don't see why not....

[Istabraq]

Latest e-mail from Cheltenham confirms their intention to hold members ballot for festival so they haven't given up hope of allowing some in, that said they were always going to leave it until the last minute as each day for 2000 members refunds total ?150k+.
I know many are less positive but I've always known racing authorities are in constant communication with government officials so the fact there hasn't been a 'no spectators' announcement has to give a small amount of hope...

[ryanh97]

I haven’t given up all hope of there being crowds of some sort, sure there won’t be 70,000 but some people in attendance would create some sort of atmosphere...

Ista, I didn't want to derail the other thread so coming here instead. You can't have much confidence of any crowd? Especially with the speculation that schools won't be going back until after Easter, surely there is no chance people attend sporting events before schools are back?

[charlie]

Is this thread still going?

Cheltenham is 51 days away (come on baby!!!) and we will be in lockdown till at least the middle of February - that's 30 days before Cheltenham.

The easing of restrictions will be exactly that, an easing. They will start at tier 4 and then move through the tiers. We know it takes 3-4 weeks between tiers for them to monitor, which means there is zero chance we enter tier 2 before Cheltenham, and I am very specifically using the word zero. It's over. There is legitimate talk of children being off school until Easter, so the notion we'd go from a national lockdown in mid feb to spectators at racecourse 30 days later just doesn't make any sense on any level, even more so when you consider the level of shit Cheltenham got last year.

I have been Mr Negativity on this thread (Mr Realism I prefer), but I think we should try and focus on what positives are left, and I'm afraid that's not going to be spectators at Cheltenham. I think we should try and be positive, in the right places!

We should start a 'Cheltenham Behind Closed Doors!' thread where all the people who would have attended discuss their plans and strategy for watching it at home?

No joke, I think this would be a good idea. It sucks not being there, but in the context of the hardships being faced across the nation, it's not so bad. Loads of positives I can think of:

The festival has gone ahead!
The Irish are coming over!
I can sit on my arse in comfort all day!
I'll have other lager options and cats piss Carling!
I wont have to queue 25 minutes for a pint of Guinness!
I can watch race replays and enjoy the coverage!
I can bet in play which I could never do before!
I'll save whatever I normally spend on each day!
I wont have to pay 5.05p for a Guiness (forever remain a mystery that price)!

Come on, there must be more...............