Cheltenham Festival Race Program

[Imperial Commander]

So betfair exchange have set up their first markets for the 2026 Festival and they don't have a market for the Turners Hurdle.

Looking at Oddschecker, there are a only a very small number of bookies offering prices for the Turners. As a comparison, bookies offering prices on the Supreme, Arkle and BANC but not on the Turners Hurdle include Skybet, Paddy Power & betfair, Hills & 888sport, BetVictor, Betfred and BetMGM.

Might a conspiracy theory be that someone thinks the Turners will be removed from next year's Festival or at least turned into a handicap to follow the change made to the 2.5 mile novice chase this year? I hope not but it makes me wonder.....

[HoldenTheReins]

So betfair exchange have set up their first markets for the 2026 Festival and they don't have a market for the Turners Hurdle.

Looking at Oddschecker, there are a only a very small number of bookies offering prices for the Turners. As a comparison, bookies offering prices on the Supreme, Arkle and BANC but not on the Turners Hurdle include Skybet, Paddy Power & betfair, Hills & 888sport, BetVictor, Betfred and BetMGM.

Might a conspiracy theory be that someone thinks the Turners will be removed from next year's Festival or at least turned into a handicap to follow the change made to the 2.5 mile novice chase this year? I hope not but it makes me wonder.....

I hope not, the Cheltenham handicap festival doesn't need another handicap.

The bookies don't need more winning races, I say they done well enough this year.

[Quevega]

I hope not, the Cheltenham handicap festival doesn't need another handicap.

The bookies don't need more winning races, I say they done well enough this year.

Don't think the handicaps were that profitable for the bookies this year, 5 winning favourites vs 4 favourites in the other races.

In the Handicaps (12 races)

5/12 Handicaps won by favourites.
8/12 favourites placed.
8/12 2nd Favourites won or placed.
9/12 winners at single figure prices.

Money to be made in the Handicaps.

All these were available at NRNB prices......

Myretown - 28-1 (13/2 SP)

Putyourhandstogether - 25-1 (17/2 SP)

Haiti Couleurs - 12-1 (7-2 SP)

Jimmy du Seuill - 25-1 (possibly bigger) (16-1 SP)

Stumptown - 9-2 (possibly bigger) (5-2 SP)

Jazzy Matty - 14-1 (possibly bigger) (17-2 SP)

Caldwell Potter - 20-1 (possibly bigger) (7-1 SP)

Doddiethegreat (not sure, i'd be guessing at 33/40's) (25-1 SP)

Jagwar - 20-1 (3-1 SP)

Daily Present - 20-1 (12-1 SP)

Kargese - 12/14-1 (3-1 SP)

Wodhooh - 25-1 (4-1 SP)


Obviously many of the placed horses were also available at much bigger prices.

I think people are too quick to dismiss the Handicaps as a method of profit, the NRNB being available so early most years remains a massive edge.

[Hurricane fly]

Taking away the betting angle, the pinnacle of the sport should have graded races showing who is the best, not be doing everything it can to increase handicaps.

[Quevega]

Taking away the betting angle, the pinnacle of the sport should have graded races showing who is the best, not be doing everything it can to increase handicaps.

It should, but there isn't enough horses at that level. And its fucking stupid to think otherwise.
They are not doing everything they can to make more handicaps, they are simply making do with the hand that they've got.

We could have 28 graded races if you really want.
Be 2 or 3 runner races mostly.
And be 80% Irish trained.

Some cold hard facts for all those wanting more graded races at a UK National Hunt horse racing Festival, and are moaning about handicaps.


In the UK ranks, we have ZERO Chasers rated 170+ right now, and only 10 rated over 160 - 4 of those will be 11 years old next year.

4 of those skipped Cheltenham and were not injured, 2 were injured, so only 4 ran at the festival

In the UK, we have 1 horse rated over 170 over hurdles, and ZERO rated above 160, with only 8 horses rated over 150+.

3 of those skipped Cheltenham and were not injured, one was injured and only 5 ran at the festival.

(I'm not certain but I think these numbers have actually declined over the season also)



Compared to Ireland. (Irish ratings of course and probably more than stated when rated by UK handicapper)

IRE have 5 Chasers rated 170+ and 24 rated 160+

IRE have ZERO Hurdlers rated 170+ and 6 rated 160+ with a further 24 rated 150+


It's Dreamland to think more graded races is going to happen any time soon, or that it would be entertaining or offer profitable punting prospects.

[Saxon Warrior]

Keeping three Grade 1 Novice Hurdles shouldn't be an issue

Maybe it's the number on Early Entries and 6-Day Entries that could be tweaked to avoid the 3, 4, 5 or 6 Entries for horses, that is so confusing, and largely unnecessary.

Maybe a max 3 Early Entries
Max 2 Six-Day Entries
per horse
for example

You don't have to ditch races, just tweak the rules a bit.

[Saxon Warrior]

....and we are getting to the point of passing the limit on the number of Handicaps we want to see at the Olympics of NH Racing

Though Royal Ascot got away with it, unscathed, when they added a 7th race to each day of their 5-day meeting, which was mostly completed by adding extra Handicap in.

[Hurricane fly]

Quevega I'm not entirely sure on the relevance of what the Uk and Ireland have? I'm not fussed where winners are trained or who trains them. Changing the Turners to the handicap gave British trainers a better chance, but they should not be rewarded for their poor performance - to be fair I'm looking squarely at Nicholls there. While I think handicap performances are vastly overrated with regards to ratings, Caldwell Potter was given 155 for it, that would have had him in the frame of 3 of the last 5.

I'd also rather watch Galopin Des Champs destroy Bob Olinger in an essential match than watch a horse whose ability has been hidden for 12 months win with a stone in hand.

I feel the weight put on the number of entries is some what over estimated. A 20 runner handicap often might aswell be a 10 horse race the amount of horses that never even threat to see the front end of the race. Would the Champion Hurdle have been any more an Exciting prospect if it had 15 instead of 7? Graded flat races rarely hit double digit entries, I don't recall the moaning about Frankel or Enable winning 6 horse races, people just wanted to see the excellence.

Im more frustrated at the Turners and the XCountry being handicaps than the NH Chase, I don't know why there is this absolute fascination that a horse has to be either a 2m or 3m horse and that it can't be recognise some are best suited to the mid distance trip. I'd argue we see more eye popping performances over 2.5 than either 2 or 3 with regards to fence.

Cross Country has been an excellent race over the years,
good stories - Tiger Roll, Balthazar King etc, I personally didn't see the need to change it, there are plenty of handicap Cross Country races earlier in the season. Stumptown pissing in doesnt meant much to me outside of highlighting how poorly handicapped he was.

[Quevega]

Quevega I'm not entirely sure on the relevance of what the Uk and Ireland have? I'm not fussed where winners are trained or who trains them. Changing the Turners to the handicap gave British trainers a better chance, but they should not be rewarded for their poor performance - to be fair I'm looking squarely at Nicholls there. While I think handicap performances are vastly overrated with regards to ratings, Caldwell Potter was given 155 for it, that would have had him in the frame of 3 of the last 5.

I'd also rather watch Galopin Des Champs destroy Bob Olinger in an essential match than watch a horse whose ability has been hidden for 12 months win with a stone in hand.

I feel the weight put on the number of entries is some what over estimated. A 20 runner handicap often might aswell be a 10 horse race the amount of horses that never even threat to see the front end of the race. Would the Champion Hurdle have been any more an Exciting prospect if it had 15 instead of 7? Graded flat races rarely hit double digit entries, I don't recall the moaning about Frankel or Enable winning 6 horse races, people just wanted to see the excellence.

Im more frustrated at the Turners and the XCountry being handicaps than the NH Chase, I don't know why there is this absolute fascination that a horse has to be either a 2m or 3m horse and that it can't be recognise some are best suited to the mid distance trip. I'd argue we see more eye popping performances over 2.5 than either 2 or 3 with regards to fence.

Cross Country has been an excellent race over the years,
good stories - Tiger Roll, Balthazar King etc, I personally didn't see the need to change it, there are plenty of handicap Cross Country races earlier in the season. Stumptown pissing in doesnt meant much to me outside of highlighting how poorly handicapped he was.

The point is that there is not enough excellence, especially to entertain competitive graded races.
And people were clamouring for Frankel and enable to take on other challanges.

I would add that I don't think we disagree on what Cheltenham should be about, or about where the horses are trained.
But I'm being a realist, and you're unrealistically hankering.

[Hurricane fly]

To my mind/memory the point of removing the Turners was to encourage bigger fields in the Arkle and BANC.

The Arkle fell from 10 to 6 and the BANC rose from 6 to 7. Clearly didn't work.

Cross Country was level at 16
National Hunt certainly improved for the field size, I would say quality of horse in it dropped though.

[Quevega]

To my mind/memory the point of removing the Turners was to encourage bigger fields in the Arkle and BANC.

The Arkle fell from 10 to 6 and the BANC rose from 6 to 7. Clearly didn't work.

Cross Country was level at 16
National Hunt certainly improved for the field size, I would say quality of horse in it dropped though.

That's not why they did it though is it ?

They did it because there are not enough grade 1 level horses in training to justify 4 graded novice chases at the festival.
And trainers have proved they are unwilling to try lower rated animals and support these graded races at the festival.

The quality of the horses dropped in the NH chase for obvious reasons, it's a 0-145.

[Runragged]

To my mind/memory the point of removing the Turners was to encourage bigger fields in the Arkle and BANC.

The Arkle fell from 10 to 6 and the BANC rose from 6 to 7. Clearly didn't work.

Cross Country was level at 16
National Hunt certainly improved for the field size, I would say quality of horse in it dropped though.

The real reason was bookmakers wanted more competitive races at Cheltenham to increase betting turnover. It was money motivated no matter what other reasoning is put forward to hide behind.

[Quevega]

The real reason was bookmakers wanted more competitive races at Cheltenham to increase betting turnover. It was money motivated no matter what other reasoning is put forward to hide behind.

Undoubtedly the main reason, with other potential positive outcomes that may or may not develop.

And by Correlation for the good and longevity of the Festival and the Sport.
They are obviously Intrinsically linked.

Without bookmakers or betting turnover, the Sport is fucked.
And we'd all be watching Graded Point to Points on a Sunday, whilst walking the dog.

[Zachx02]

Keeping three Grade 1 Novice Hurdles shouldn't be an issue

Maybe it's the number on Early Entries and 6-Day Entries that could be tweaked to avoid the 3, 4, 5 or 6 Entries for horses, that is so confusing, and largely unnecessary.

Maybe a max 3 Early Entries
Max 2 Six-Day Entries
per horse
for example

You don't have to ditch races, just tweak the rules a bit.

The festival should adopt what the breeders cup do and have all entries come out at the same time and you have your first preference race and a second preference race, which all come out around a week before the weekend.

[Saxon Warrior]

The festival should adopt what the breeders cup do and have all entries come out at the same time and you have your first preference race and a second preference race, which all come out around a week before the weekend.

Needs something like that Zachx02

NH racing is such a small club c/w to the organisation behind globalised pattern races in Flat racing.

It seems to make it up as it goes along, as there’s no-one else to answer.

The least NH could do is take the better ideas from others, and replicate them, to improve their product.