The saying “if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it” comes to mind when you hear the whispers that more changes may be on the way for the Cheltenham Festival.
It was only last week that we were hit with the news that the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle has been moved from the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now will sit as the supporting act on St Patrick’s Day, Thursday.
However, that is far less concerning than the whispers that are getting louder around the Cheltenham Festival, moving its traditional opening day from Tuesday to Wednesday, in so moving Gold Cup Day to a Saturday slot.
As expected, this news was met with anger and shock from the vast majority of the racing world, and many took to X to vent their frustration.
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Guy Lavender told the Racing Post: “The metrics for this year were not primarily about numbers, it was about what we delivered, and I think we had a good festival with very strong customer feedback, so I feel we’re at the right start point.”
“We have just announced a series of changes for 2026 and we haven’t at the moment agreed anything else for future years. We’re at the start point of considering a range of options and I don’t think this is anything more than a concept at this particular stage. There are obvious pros and cons but I think it is definitely worthy of consideration and exploring further.”
When asked about the Jockey Clubs view on moving from a Wednesday – Saturday Festival, he added: “There is a willingness to explore a range of ideas and concepts, and this is one I feel is worthy of more consideration, but we’re a long way from building a consensus around a course of action and a long way from getting to the point of reaching a decision.”
Source: Racing Post
If this crazy decision were to see the light of day, then Gold Cup day, the flagship day of national hunt season, would suddenly have to take a back seat to the Premier League and Six Nations. Ultimately, this means the Gold Cup would be shown on ITV4 rather than ITV1, as the final day of the Six Nations would take priority.
You have to wonder who is sitting around the top table at the BHA and Cheltenham board coming up with these ideas, let alone letting them go to air.
The “we hear you” movement, with the announcement of dropping the price of a pint of Guinness and lifting the restriction on where you can consume your alcohol, was a small step in the right direction. Still, it may have been used as a smokescreen to sneak more unnecessary changes through.
The sad truth is that we seem further away than ever from recapturing the glory days of the sport we love, and it is one step forward and two steps back if this is the path the new regime is taking us down.
Lavander and the BHA may think they know what the racing public wants, but this once again highlights how disconnected they are from the reality of what is wrong at the core of horse racing.
When will they realise that the cost of attending the Cheltenham Festival is the major issue behind the drop in attendance, rather than the days it is held on?
