Irish Examiner view: Is the Cheltenham Festival extension needed?

Most racing fans worry that an extension will dilute the event's overall quality

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup: A Plus Tard and Rachael Blackmore clear the final fence to win for owner Cheveley Park Stud and trainer Henry de Bromhead. The first official steps have been taken to extend the Cheltenham Festival from four to five days. Picture: Healy Racing

The first official steps have been taken by the Jockey Club in the UK aimed at extending the Cheltenham Festival from four to five days and there are widespread and genuine fears that, by doing so, racing will kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

The festival, which since 2005 has been run over four days in March every year and this year attracted more than 280,000 paying punters, is undoubtedly a huge draw for racing fans on both sides of the Irish Sea. But, not 20 years after creating huge controversy by adding an extra day which many — racegoers, fans, jockeys, owners, and trainers alike — deemed superfluous, the authorities are once more looking to extend the event.

While the Jockey Club is insistent that an in-depth consultation process will take place before a final decision is arrived at later this year, it does have to be remembered that the festival is the club’s single biggest source of income.

Biggest worry

For most racing fans, though, the biggest worry about an extension is that it will dilute the overall quality of the event. In recent years, race fields have decreased notably. This year, there were a total of 405 runners and since the adoption of a fourth day 17 years ago, field sizes have reduced on average from 19.5 to 14.5 runners.

Interestingly, when the event was stretched to four days, it took several years to fill the extra day with worthwhile and meaningful races and, for many, the extra day was wasteful for everyone apart from the commercial sponsors.

It is to be hoped that, whatever else prevails in this debate, common sense is top of the agenda.