Roar like you’ve never roared before

Mike Deasy on why the Festival should stay at four days, why it’s five races a day for ITV, when it was a chilly day for Ed Chamberlin and AP McCoy, and more

Not since the loss of the Festival in 2001, when it was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease, have the four days at Cheltenham been so eagerly anticipated. Get ready to roar.

We had last year’s jumping highlight without crowds, but now they’re back and that roar will reverberate around the Cotswolds. Indeed, ticket sales have been the fastest ever.

And it is to be hoped that the roar will continue to herald four days of exciting, dramatic quality action. And four days is how it should remain.

We know that Jockey Club Racecourses are considering a fifth day and, in the days running up to the Festival, people either express an opinion or are asked to comment on the merits or otherwise of a fifth day.

The course’s managing director Ian Renton was quoted by the Racing Post as saying: “It always raises its head at this time of year with people discussing whether it will become five days.

“We certainly will explore the possibility because it’s something that is talked about. In due course, we’d like to explore the pros and cons, and talk to a wide range of people to garner their views. I’d expect us to do lots of market research and talk to participants and others in the industry.

“I want to do whatever is best for the future of the festival. I love it and would like to ensure whatever is done is in its best long-term interests.

“Many people would question why we would consider changing it when we have a successful four days, but we’d have to look at whether there is an alternative that could be even better.”

I can tell Renton now that by no stretch of the imagination would a five-day Festival “be even better”.

People on social media have been quick to criticise the possibility of adding another day. They point to the exact same crowd spread more thinly, an already diluted programme further damaged, and the possible reduction of the card to six races per day resulting in poorer value for money for what is already an expensive event to attend.

The latter point being highly valid in relation to people paying to stay in Cheltenham and its surrounds to attend four days. Not least those from Ireland.

Many say to me they won’t go to the Festival at all if it extends to five days.

A quick Twitter poll for The Racing Hub had a 58% preference for the Festival staying at four days. Indeed, 42% wanted to return to three days. Nobody expressed a desire for an additional day.

In many ways the Jockey Club is duty-bound to assess the merits of a fifth day. They have to establish if the move could benefit the sport financially.

My view is that, for a while anyway, the evidence is unlikely to stack up for a material improvement in the Jockey Club’s, and therefore the sport’s, finances.

For that reason, I don’t think they’ll have the confidence to add another day, not even with some blinkered trainers advocating such a move.

Your five a day

ITV’s coverage of the Festival is one of biggest, if not the biggest, sports event which the broadcaster undertakes.

As well as the hour-long Opening Show, the live afternoon action will occupy screens from 12.40 until after the running of each day’s fifth race.

And expect presenter Ed Chamberlin to head-off viewers’ complaints by stressing that ITV are back covering five races a day, not all seven as was the case last year.

That was when the contract was changed during lockdown to help maximise betting revenue to compensate for the empty stands.

RacingTV will be pleased they can push the point that they’re the place to see all the races.

♦ITV coverage http://wp.me/p8e3Dl-8rp

Slainte

ITV’s mantra for this year’s coverage is to take viewers to the “heart of the action”. So, amongst other elements of the Cheltenham craic, there’s likely to be a visit to the Guinness Village.

Indeed, the broadcaster’s Festival coverage publicity shots included presenters Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani with pints of the black stuff in hand.

I suspect that maybe only one of the pair drank the full pint.

Ed and AP get a bit frosty

Back in the Autumn, things appeared to be somewhat frosty between Ed Chamberlin and former champion jockey and now ITV pundit Sir AP McCoy.

It was at the time Bryony Frost had revealed she’d been victim of orchestrated bullying in the weighing room.

Views differed on how jockeys should deal with such matters, with some – mostly jockeys or ex-jockeys – holding the opinion that they were best sorted behind closed doors. “What happens in the weighing room…” and all that.

There was clearly an animated discussion between the two near the parade ring and the body-language more than hinted that, whatever was being discussed, the two held strongly opposing views.

For the blue and yellow

Hats off to the Jockey Club with their campaign to raise money for aid to the suffering people of the Ukraine, spearhead by making the final race on the first day the Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Challenge Cup. Dig deep folks.