Weekly roundup including Cheltenham Festival changes, Group 1 performances & more | The Irish Angle 

My local track is Kelso in the Scottish Borders and for an average days racing there it’s approx £3 more expensive than the early bird ticket for Saturday of DRF for 5 graded races.. crazy

I've been to the last 14 festivals (apart from Covid) as I love the quality of racing and the atmosphere. To experience something different, I went to the DRF in February. I enjoyed myself, but it was nowhere near the level of the Cheltenham festival for competitiveness of racing and the feeling that you're at a premium event. Mullins had around half the field in all grade ones and it all had a sense of inevitability about it. Although I agree that the ticket and hotel/air bandb prices are extortionate for the Cheltenham festival, that's partly because it's an excellent event, which is unparalleled within the sport.

I'm ok with a 4 day festival personally. Probably because I'll only watch the main 4-5 races on TV each day, missing some of the less known races. I think they should get rid of a number of races that water down the big races, the mares races in particular. Then just simply fill the 4 days cards in with lower level racing to ensure the spectators get a full days racing. Does every race at the Cheltenham festival have to be special? On a side note I've been to Cheltenham once, for a non-festival days racing. We couldn't take ours drinks on to the grandstand to watch the races. Really spoiled the day, every time we bought a beer we had to rush in order to not miss a race. Doesn't make attending the festival attractive to me.

The only way to revive the festival is to go back to three days , this tinkering with certain races will make no difference.

Have a nice time IN Spain

Flooring Porter in the Grand National will be fun while it lasts

Cheltenham extremely expensive Accommodation and hospitality Less people going this year Bring Cheltenham back k to 3 days

Johnny doesnt seem to appreciate we have a different attitude to fatalities over here. You'll have 7 fatalities in Listowel and no one bats an eyelid. 1 or 2 at Cheltenham would be all over the daily mail website.

I think a handicap profits the bookies the public punters don’t get the benefit

apart from the cost of going there for punters,accommodation,food,drinks are extortionate prices purely and simply because of the irish coming in their droves,the other factor and most galling for those who run the festival is the fact that the irish are cleaning up most of the races and prize money,so I’d say there are many English trainers and owners plus bookies who are pissed off with Ireland winning so many races every year.

Willie doesn`t have run his Horse`s SIMPLE