Festival Changes

[Quevega]

I don't think the Gold Cup has the same pull as the Grand National.

Most people in my office watch and have a bet on the Grand National but I've never heard any of them mention that they watched the Derby. I think it'd be the same with the Gold Cup.

Viewing figures would improve but if United beat City on the same afternoon there'd only be one story making the headlines.

If you read between the lines of what you’ve said then you’d see that Saturday would make a massive difference.
People watching is more important than headlines.

[Quevega]

Derby viewing figures 1.75M for a Saturday 4.30 start. The National is totally different to any other race so it's a false comparison. I'd hate to see a Saturday Cheltenham as it would be just another race day.

Because you're in mid-March, the light can be an issue late afternoon and I wouldn't have any chase scheduled for 5.00 or later. There's an argument that the whole schedule should be moved forward by 30 or even 60 minutes but I absolutely wouldn't want the feature race later than 4.30 because of the difficulties in exiting the track and then travelling any distance in peak evening traffic.

The light issue is a possible issue. Agree with that.
The last point about exiting the track is a selfish one. Major sporting events that want maximum tv audience aren’t gonna cater for people being late for tea cos of traffic,
If I had my way, they’d run the gold cup at the end of my garden.

[archie]

The point is that, if you run the feature race as 4th out of 7, people gradually make their way out over the course of the last 3 races which makes it easier for everyone travelling long distances. Leaving the course straight after the Foxhunters this year, we got home (North Wales) at about 20.45. Damn right it's selfish not wanting to spend a 5th night in a hotel at Festival prices. It's also selfish to want a race on a Saturday so you don't have to take time off work.
It will never happen again but the 'good old days' of travelling down Monday afternoon, 3 great and undiluted days racing and home Friday morning was the exact right balance.

[Quevega]

The point is that, if you run the feature race as 4th out of 7, people gradually make their way out over the course of the last 3 races which makes it easier for everyone travelling long distances. Leaving the course straight after the Foxhunters this year, we got home (North Wales) at about 20.45. Damn right it's selfish not wanting to spend a 5th night in a hotel at Festival prices. It's also selfish to want a race on a Saturday so you don't have to take time off work.
It will never happen again but the 'good old days' of travelling down Monday afternoon, 3 great and undiluted days racing and home Friday morning was the exact right balance.

It’s not selfish if the majority want it.
Racing’s golden age when it was one of the few televised sports available on one of the three main channels is long gone.
Reaching a wider audience is vital to protect everything about the sport we love.
The more people in racing that remain in the past and don’t adapt then the more at risk it will become.
The grand national is an institution and I have no doubt that the gold cup would be closer to this if it’d been held on a Saturday for the last 50 years.
Viewing figures for all big races and sporting events have steadily fallen simply because of the choices available these days.

[Istabraq]

Would the Gold Cup be better in a Saturday? You're competing with the EPL. At least on a Friday it is the main event of the day.

The bigger event on that Saturday is the final round of 6 Nations games where all three are played back to back to back.
Midlands National day would pretty much die too...

[Faugheen_Machine]

If you read between the lines of what you’ve said then you’d see that Saturday would make a massive difference.
People watching is more important than headlines.

It wouldn't be anywhere near 10 million viewers though, probably not even above 2 million.

I hope they keep it as a four day festival Tues - Fri but I fear they will move it at some point in the future.

[Quevega]

The bigger event on that Saturday is the final round of 6 Nations games where all three are played back to back to back.
Midlands National day would pretty much die too...

If racing has to worry about competition from rugby union then we’re all fucked.
And are you serious about the midlands national ?

[Quevega]

It wouldn't be anywhere near 10 million viewers though, probably not even above 2 million.

I hope they keep it as a four day festival Tues - Fri but I fear they will move it at some point in the future.

Obviously not near 10 million. Granted.
I personally don’t care about it being on Saturday either apart from racing itself being able to thrive and survive.
I work 2 hours a day in a morning then spend rest of day watching racing and cooking wife’s tea for when she’s back from work

[archie]

It’s not selfish if the majority want it. No proof that the majority want it.
Racing’s golden age when it was one of the few televised sports available on one of the three main channels is long gone. Agree.
Reaching a wider audience is vital to protect everything about the sport we love. Disagree.
The more people in racing that remain in the past and don’t adapt then the more at risk it will become.Disagree.
The grand national is an institution and I have no doubt that the gold cup would be closer to this if it’d been held on a Saturday for the last 50 years. Strongly disagree. Why is the Derby TV audience only 1.75M?
Viewing figures for all big races and sporting events have steadily fallen simply because of the choices available these days. Exactly, so how is putting the big race on when every other sport is on going to help?

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[Quevega]

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I can’t prove the majority would want it but I’d bet on it.
The points you’ve disagreed on without reasoning speaks for itself.
Although the point you strongly disagree with cannot be proved by either of us. I’d imagine a poll amongst racing fans would rank the gold cup ahead of the national and see no reason why the general racing public would differ if both races had received equal exposure over the years.
The derby viewing figures issue has been answered in my overall comment around the increased competition racing is fighting
. So is a mute point.
Your last point relates to available audience.
If you want to sell tickets for something then you’ve a better chance when there’s more people in the room.

[Istabraq]

If racing has to worry about competition from rugby union then we’re all fucked.
And are you serious about the midlands national ?

It’s a mainstream sport on terrestial TV, of course it’s competition.
No idea what viewing figures are but all final games are shown on BBC1 and ITV1 so audiences bounce.

Although the Midlands National might not be considered a premium race/fixture by some I fully expect the course survives on income generated from the day, take that away and every chance you take away the racecourses ability to operate and with it the livelihoods of dozens, if not hundreds, of local people and businesses

[Quevega]

It’s a mainstream sport on terrestial TV, of course it’s competition.
No idea what viewing figures are but all final games are shown on BBC1 and ITV1 so audiences bounce.

Although the Midlands National might not be considered a premium race/fixture by some I fully expect the course survives on income generated from the day, take that away and every chance you take away the racecourses ability to operate and with it the livelihoods of dozens, if not hundreds, of local people and businesses

Let me put it another way,
If on a Saturday the main competition for viewers was Rugby Union. ITV racing would be rubbing their hands together.

Despite your 'playing on the heart strings' attempt at validating your point about the Midlands National.

This race meeting could easily be moved and therefore needn't lead to such losses as you've described. Any impact (if at all) should be catered for by the BHA, using the extra revenue a Saturday Gold Cup would surely generate.

And as such, the meeting at Uttoxeter shouldn't have any major bearing on any decision to move the Gold Cup.

[jono]

Though a move to Saturday would increase TV audiences watching the Gold Cup, I don't think you can compare it with the Grand National, nor any other horse race. The National is the sweepstakes...the take a pick and not have to know anything about racing...the lottery of 40 runners to choose from...
The Gold Cup or almost any other race just doesn't have anywhere near the same appeal of such a wide demographic. Obviously time and history plays a huge part - there's plenty of other National races that on paper would be able to offer the exact same things but I doubt the vast majority who watch the Grand National even know about the Welsh, Scottish, Midland, Irish versions.
But the Gold Cup just wouldn't be able to offer anything like the same experience.

I completely agree that racing needs to constantly evolve and adapt but I personally don't see a Saturday move as making much difference at all. The Gold Cup is already packed on course. For live attendance there's absolutely no issue in drawing in the crowds at the course. A Saturday move would add more viewers in the many thousands but is that enough? There won't be one big game changing idea to get racing where I imagine we all want it - it'll be many cumulative changes that add up as a whole but I struggle to see the benefits to a shift in days.

[Istabraq]

Let me put it another way,
If on a Saturday the main competition for viewers was Rugby Union. ITV racing would be rubbing their hands together.

Despite your 'playing on the heart strings' attempt at validating your point about the Midlands National.

This race meeting could easily be moved and therefore needn't lead to such losses as you've described. Any impact (if at all) should be catered for by the BHA, using the extra revenue a Saturday Gold Cup would surely generate.

And as such, the meeting at Uttoxeter shouldn't have any major bearing on any decision to move the Gold Cup.

Do you think the current schedule is plucked from the air without thought ?
I have worked with one or two racecourses in the past so have some awareness of their plight and financial positions, so it’s far from playing heart strings, but a genuine reality check

[Saxon Warrior]

I think Cheltenham’s owners do extremely well packing the stands with 60,000+ People per day Monday to Friday at high priced entrance fees. It works perfectly well where it is in the weekly calendar for the course and those attending.
It gets a decent amount of coverage on the national news and on ITV live coverage for four days. Then the following Saturday morning the newspapers cover it well and the tv news covers the Gold Cup winner returning to his stables being cheered by the locals.