In this bonus edition of the Racing Podcast, our panel of experts talk through the recently-announced changes to the Cheltenham Festival.
Is the National Hunt Chase becoming a handicap a good move and how about the fact it's now open to professional jockeys?
Will the intermediate distance novice chase reverting to a handicap make for more compelling - and competitive - editions of the Arkle and Brown Advisory?
Do the mares-only races truly belong at the Festival and what about the additional changes made concerning customer experience and the push for racegoers to receive better value for money?
All these questions are tackled as David Ord, Ed Chamberlin, Graham Cunningham, Billy Nash and David Johnson give their reaction.
You can also listen to the regular Racing Podcast - first live on Wednesday - in which the team look ahead to the upcoming action at Newmarket among other hot topics.
You can listen to the Cheltenham Festival reaction special right here or using the links below.
Six key Cheltenham Festival changes
- The 2m 4f Turners (Golden Miller) Novices’ Chase will be replaced by a Grade 2 Limited Novice Handicap Chase over the same distance.
- The National Hunt Chase will become a Class 2 Novice Handicap Chase (0-145), with amateur rider restrictions for jockeys removed to allow professionals to take part.
- The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will be changed from a conditions race to a Limited Handicap.
- The race conditions for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle will be changed to remove the penalty structure, resulting in a level weights contest.
- From 2023 any horse finishing in the first four of a qualifying race for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle has been eligible for the race at The Festival. From 2025 the race conditions will be altered to provide a guaranteed run in the Pertemps Final for all winners of series qualifiers (provided they are within the weights at declaration stage).
- Currently horses must have run at least three times (chases) or four times (hurdles) to be eligible to run in non-novice handicaps at The Festival. From 2025, this will be increased to four chase and five hurdle runs.
WATCH: Reaction to Cheltenham Festival changes
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