Cheltenham Festival Change

Cheltenham Racecourse have announced some significant changes to the racing schedule for The Festival in 2009, which takes places from March 10 to 13.

On each day of The Festival, the feature race will now be the fourth race of the day, giving more of a sense of building to a climax. This change has resulted in a rescheduled race programme, as revealed below.

The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup will remain the first race over fences on Friday and, to accomplish this, the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle moves from being the last race of The Festival to become the second event on Gold Cup day, meaning that it will be televised on Channel 4 for the first time.

The final contest of The Festival 2009 will be the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, a handicap chase over two miles and half a furlong, while a new race, a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over an extended two and a half miles becomes the sixth race that day.

Explaining the change, Racecourse Managing Director, Edward Gillespie, said: “It was apparent from the experience of last season that a greater period of build-up to the biggest races was almost universally popular.

“On that basis, the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, Ladbrokes World Hurdle and totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup will be the fourth race on each day respectively, starting at 3.20pm. Because we are now starting racing at 1.30pm instead of 2pm, these races will only actually be run five minutes later than in the recent past.

“The movement of the County Hurdle away from its slot as the final race of The Festival will give Gold Cup day a different feel, but we are still ending The Festival with two ultra-competitive handicaps, so the battle between punters and bookies will still be alive until 5.15pm on the Friday!”

In other changes, The National Hunt Chase continues to be rejuvenated, with a new televised slot, opening the card on Wednesday, March 11, a day which will feature seven races for the first time since The Festival was extended to four days in 2005.

The David Nicholson Mares Hurdle moves to Tuesday (from Friday), and the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle to Wednesday (from Tuesday).

Prize Money for The Festival 2009 has risen to £3.59 million (£3.42 million in 2008), an amazing average of over £138,000 for each of the 26 races.

Away from The Festival, it was announced that both the Paddy Power Gold Cup on November 15 and the boylesports.com Gold Cup on December 13 will have 48-hour declarations and reserves in place (if the races are over-subscribed) for the first time.

 

The 2008/2009 season at Cheltenham begins on Friday and Saturday October 17 & 18, the second staging of The Showcase, allowing racegoers to get behind the scenes of Jump racing and find out much more about many aspects of the sport.

Order of Running – THE FESTIVAL 2009

First Day – Tuesday 10th March (Old Course)

1.30 The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race 2m abt ½f

2.05 The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase abt 2m

2.40 The William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase 3m abt ½ f

3.20 The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2m abt ½f

4.00 The Cross Country Steeple Chase 3m abt 7f

4.40 The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle Race 2m abt 4f

 

Second Day – Wednesday 11th March (Old Course)

1.30 The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup abt 4m

2.05 The Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle Race 2m abt 5f

2.40 The Royal & SunAlliance Steeple Chase 3m abt ½ f

3.20 The Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase abt 2m

4.00 The Coral Cup Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) 2m abt 5f

4.40 The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race 2m abt ½f

5.15 The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open NH Flat Race) 2m abt ½f

 

Third Day – Thursday 12th March (New Course)

1.30 The Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase 2m abt 5f

2.05 The Pertemps Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) Abt 3m

2.40 The Ryanair Steeple Chase 2m abt 5f

3.20 The Ladbrokes World Hurdle Race abt 3m

4.00 The Festival Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) 2m abt 5f

4.40 The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase 3m abt 1½ f

 

Fourth Day – Friday 13th March (New Course)

1.30 The JCB Triumph Hurdle Race 2m abt 1 f

2.05 The Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle Race 2m abt 1f

2.40 The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Race abt 3m

3.20 The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase 3m abt 2 ½ f

4.00 The Christie’s Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 3m abt 2 ½ f

4.40 The Conditionals’ Hurdle (A Handicap)(0-140) 2m abt 4½ f

5.15 The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 2m abt ½ f

Dean McKeown & Paul Blockley Hearing Underway

Jockey Dean McKeown and trainer Paul Blockley were both in attendance as a British Horseracing Authority inquiry into alleged corruption began on Monday.

The pair, who deny the charges, are accused along with three owners, two former owners and two unlicensed individuals, of being involved with laying of horses to lose in 11 races between March 2004 and December 2005.

McKeown intended to represent himself at the hearing but he was accompanied by solicitor Christopher Stewart-Moore as the disciplinary panel commenced proceedings.

BHA spokesman Owen Byrne confirmed: “They were here along with five others and the inquiry is expected to last 10 days.”

Owners Clive Whiting, David Lovatt and Martyn Wakefield were all in attendance along with Whiting’s brother Vincent and former owner Marcus Reeder.

David Wright and Nicholas Rook were also among nine charged but did not appear.

Santa Anita’s new Pro-Ride all-weather track

Santa Anita’s new Pro-Ride all-weather track has been backed with confidence by the organisers of October’s Breeders’ Cup championship.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be the first to be run on a synthetic surface and the Australian-designed Pro-Ride was only laid down during the summer.

It was replacing Cushion Track, which had huge problems with drainage during last winter but many of the old brigade of American trainers would still rather the non-Turf races were run on the traditional dirt.

“They have been training on it for a month and the Oak Tree meeting started on Wednesday and it went off very well,” said Greg Avioli, president of the Breeders’ Cup.

“Reviews were very positive and I see no going back (to dirt) as ultimately the synthetic surface is safer and better for the horses.”

Avioli was at Ascot on Friday, chiefly to announce this weekend’s Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes as part of the ‘Win And You’re In’ initiative.

Those who land the Ascot races will qualify for a corresponding event at the Breeders’ Cup.

Avioli says there will be a zero-tolerance policy on drugs during the Breeders’ meeting.

American states have different regulations on what substances can be given to horses and is a contentious issue on the world racing scene.

He reported: “We have made giant strides this year to tighten up the medication rules and the only thing that will be allowed this year is Lasix (which prevents horses from bleeding through the nose).

“No other raceday medication, pre or post-race, will be allowed and there will be no use of anabolic steroids.

“To put some weight behind it, any trainer found to be using steroids will, for the first offence, be banned from the Breeders’ Cup for a year. For the second offence it will be a two-year ban and for a third offence it will be a ban for life.”