Cheltenham announces raft of changes ahead of 2025 Festival
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A series of significant changes to the Cheltenham Festival race programme have been announced as the track seeks to improve competitiveness at the National Hunt highlight.
From 2025, the two-and-a-half-mile Turners Novices' Chase will be replaced by a Grade Two limited novice handicap chase over the same trip, while the National Hunt Chase, which has been contested by amateur riders, will be open to professionals and become a novice handicap chase for horses rated 0-145.
Jon Pullin, head of racing and clerk of the course at Cheltenham, said: "We have had to acknowledge that due to the restrictions that were previously applied to the race, there was a limited pool of riders available to ride in it, so this looks the right opportunity to open it up to professionals as well.
"Amateur jockeys are a key part of the Festival and we are obviously keen to ensure they continue to have opportunities to ride over the four days. Both the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase and St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase will continue to be restricted to amateurs.
"It is hoped that by creating two novice handicap chases, we will have two competitive races with large fields and encourage the top novice chasers of the season to go down the Graded route in the My Pension Expert Arkle and the Brown Advisory."
The Glenfarclas Cross County Chase will also move from a conditions race to a limited handicap, with Pullin citing the domination in recent years of former top performers such as Delta Work and dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll as the reason for the contest's return to its initial status.
He said: "In reverting back to a handicap, I think we have the opportunity to make a more competitive race. Numerically, the race performed really well as far as field size is concerned but what we have seen in the last few years is real quality horses, which we do want to see at the Festival, taking part and leading to a race that realistically only two or three horses have a chance of winning."
There are three races restricted to the distaff division at the Festival, with the races introduced as an incentive for owners to keep racing their mares.
The Grade One Mares' Hurdle and the Grade Two Mares' Chase have been left unchanged, with a minor adjustment to the conditions for the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, which will be altered to remove the penalty structure, resulting in a level weights contest and hopes that connections will campaign more widely without the worry of extra weight at the Festival.
An alteration has been made to the Pertemps Final, with all winners of series qualifiers now guaranteed a run proved they are within the weights at the declaration stage, and all entries in non-novice Festival handicaps must now run four times over fences and five times over hurdles.
With an extra run now required, routes for more unexposed horses would need to be adjusted, and Pullin added: "For horses that don't have the minimum number of runs, there are still the novice options."
The changes are a result of a full review following the 2024 Festival, with attention also focussed on providing "a better experience and value for all visitors".
Heavy rain before the Festival back in March resulted in some parking issues at the track, which has resulted in the decision to put down more hard-standing 'trackway' in the grass car parks and a new park and ride system.
Coach travel options from more than 20 pick-up locations will be offered, with other moves including tickets for the 2025 Festival being frozen at 2024 levels, discounts if purchasing tickets for more than one day at the meeting (excluding Gold Cup day) and if groups of six or more book together.
Bar facilities will be upgraded in a bid to provide more choice, offer indoor seating and reduce queues while meal deals will be offered on track as Cheltenham seeks to offer more value for customers.
Accommodation prices in the Cheltenham area have also prompted discussion, with the track partnering with Venatour Racing to offer discounted packages that include tickets, hotels and travel.
Ian Renton, managing director of Cheltenham, said: "As part of the process of reviewing this year's Festival we analysed data and extensive feedback, including surveys, one-to-one meetings and focus group sessions to seek views ranging from those who come every year all the way through to people who have never visited the Festival to find out why.
"Throughout the course of this review process there have been three distinct strands which have been impossible to ignore - value for money, the need to provide the best experience possible and the competitiveness of the race programme.
"As with any event of this size, it is never possible to make changes which are welcomed by everyone. However, we have prioritised listening to our racegoers to put them and their experiences at the heart of the Festival, with the ultimate goal of delivering something that not only meets but exceeds expectations."