Cheltenham announces raft of changes ahead of 2025 Festival
AND THEY'RE OFF: Crowds watch the action at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham during the 2024 Festival. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
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.
