The Jockey Club has announced several changes to the Cheltenham Festival, ranging from alterations to the four-day race programme to many new and exciting opportunities for racegoers.
With a focus on offering more competitive racing and a better experience and value for visitors to the Home of Jump Racing, the changes are the result of an extensive review and consultation with participants, racegoers, racing fans, the media, sponsors and a wide range of industry stakeholders.
All the race programme changes will be in place for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, which takes place from Tuesday, March 11 to Friday, March 14 2025.
Racegoers will be able to enjoy relaxed drinks controls and meal deals from the first fixture The Showcase Meeting on October 25th and 26th 2024 – with the majority of changes impacting The Festival itself.
Most of the initiatives for racegoers will start from the racecourse’s first fixture of the 2024-25 season – The Showcase Meeting on October 25th and 26th 2024 – but all will be introduced in time for The Festival itself.
Race programme
Six key changes are being made to the Cheltenham Festival race programme from 2025, with alterations made to the conditions of five individual races at the event as well as new requirements for horses running in non-novice handicaps. These changes are:
· The 2m 4f Turners (Golden Miller) Novices’ Chase will be replaced by a Grade 2 Limited Novice Handicap Chase over the same distance.
· The National Hunt Chase will become a Class 2 Novice Handicap Chase (0-145), with amateur rider restrictions for jockeys removed to allow professionals to take part.
· The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will be changed from a conditions race to a Limited Handicap.
· The race conditions for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices Hurdle will be changed to remove the penalty structure, resulting in a level weights contest.
· From 2023 any horse finishing in the first four of a qualifying race for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle has been eligible for the race at The Festival. From 2025 the race conditions will be altered to provide a guaranteed run in the Pertemps Final for all winners of series qualifiers (provided they are within the weights at the declaration stage).
· Currently horses must have run at least three times (chases) or four times (hurdles) to be eligible to run in non-novice handicaps at The Festival. From 2025, this will be increased to four chase and five hurdle runs.
In addition to these changes, The Jockey Club is increasing prize money over the four days by £115,000, taking the total on offer at the Cheltenham Festival to £4,930,000 in 2025. Prize money for all the Cheltenham Festival races will be published in due course.
Festival experience
Several changes are being made to improve the experience for racegoers attending the Cheltenham Festival. These include:
· More hard-standing trackway will be laid in Cheltenham Racecourse’s grass car parks than ever before. Covering an area the size of 17 football pitches, the trackway will aid the arrival and departure of racegoers, especially in adverse weather conditions experienced earlier this year.
· A new park-and-ride system will be launched within easy access of Cheltenham. In addition, The Jockey Club has partnered with National Express to offer coach travel direct to Cheltenham Racecourse from more than 20 pick-up locations, doubling the number of coaches running to the venue.
· Racegoers will have more course-facing areas to enjoy a drink, easing queues and reducing the need to rush between races. Bar facilities are also being upgraded.
· Hot and cold meal deals will be offered, allowing racegoers to save money when buying any hot and soft drinks with food throughout the day and at multiple outlets on the course.
Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “The Cheltenham Festival is the very pinnacle of our sport and the best-attended and most prestigious Jump Racing meeting anywhere in the world. As with any major event, it is important to evolve and improve to ensure everyone who joins us throughout the week has the best possible experience.
“As part of the process of reviewing this year’s Festival, we analysed data and extensive feedback, including surveys, one-to-one meetings and focus group sessions to seek views ranging from those who come every year through to people who have never visited The Festival to find out why.
“Throughout this review process, there have been three distinct strands which have been impossible to ignore – value for money, the need to provide the best experience possible and the competitiveness of the race programme.
For all the changes in more detail please visit the website.