Cheltenham Trials Day.

[jono]

Yep I think the improvements to the course have seen crowd attendances increase meeting by meeting and it was a record crowd for NYD. The fact the weather was so bad and they still pulled in that crowd speaks columes.

Expect trials day to follow suit and you'd imagine the crowds at the festival this year will be a record high too

[Joleg]

Was there on NYD i think most of the 30k were in the bars!! it was so cold and wet

[Istabraq]

Jono - they limit attendance to 60k Tue-Thur and 65k Friday at festival.
Last Gold Cup I attended was Imperial Commander, over 70k people in heavy rain, anyone under cover stayed there and didn't move so no-one could get out of it, absolute carnage.
I vowed never to do Friday again though I expect the improvements made have alleviated many of the problems I had that day, but the attendance limits they imposed immediately after that I believe still stand

[ryanh97]

There was around 30,000 for new years day this year. Usually it's a busier day than trials day but with Thistlecrack running i'd expect a similar turn out to be honest.

I'd echo Ista - nothing beats the festival but trials day has improved heaps the last few years and is a really strong card. I'd say it's an ideal introduction to Cheltenham - i'm sure after you'll be hooked and desperate to go to the festival!

Cheers Jono, I didnt want too big of a crowd else I wouldnt be able to get round and look at parts of the course. 30k will be okay

[Istabraq]

Anyone going for the first time make a point of going to the Hall of Fame, some great memorabilia there.
And don't forget there won't be restrictions on going to the upper floors of the grandstand, you may not have a box or restraurant booking but the toilets are cleaner and less busy !

[ryanh97]

Anyone going for the first time make a point of going to the Hall of Fame, some great memorabilia there.
And don't forget there won't be restrictions on going to the upper floors of the grandstand, you may not have a box or restraurant booking but the toilets are cleaner and less busy !

I'll be sure to have a look thanks Ista

[Old Vic]

Festival Trials Day on the horizon at the Home of Jump Racing and Final Choice could run

Sunday, January 15, 2017 - Festival Trials Day takes place at Cheltenham on Saturday, January 28, and offers racegoers the final opportunity to experience racing at the Home of Jump Racing before The Festival (Tuesday, March 14 to Friday, March 17 inclusive).

A terrific eight-race programme on Festival Trials Day is headlined by the £100,000 G2 BetBright Trial Chase (2.15pm). Staged over three miles and a furlong, the BetBright Trial Chase is a leading trial for the G1 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup at The Festival.

Luminaries such as One Man, Master Oats, See More Business and Many Clouds all feature on the roll of honour. Outstanding King George VI Chase hero, the unbeaten novice chaser Thistlecrack (Colin Tizzard), is being aimed at the BetBright Trial Chase as he completes his preparation for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

BetBright is running a competition to win free tickets for Festival Trials Day. To enter, visit BetBright's Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/pg/BetBright/posts/ ), like and share the posting for the free ticket competition. The competition closes on Friday, January 20.

Top-quality staying hurdle action is provided by the £60,000 G2 galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle (4.00pm) over three miles. Thistlecrack won this race 12 months ago prior to his devastating victory in the G1 Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle at The Festival, while two other top staying hurdlers, Inglis Drever and Big Bucks, were also successful in the galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle ahead of victories in the Stayers' Hurdle.

There is Pattern action on offer for novices with the opening £30,000 G2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial (12.30pm, 2m 179y) and the £30,000 G2 Neptune Investment Management Classic Novices' Hurdle (3.25pm, 2m 4f 56y), while the feature handicaps of the day are the £60,000 G3 Trophy Handicap Chase (1.40pm, 2m 4f 166y) and the £25,000 Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase (1.05pm, 2m 4f 166y).

The Jockey Club Ownership Cheltenham & South West Syndicate was launched on October 1, 2016 and has 250 members and three horses in training. For a one-off payment of £2,590, the syndicate runs for two years and the package also includes full annual member access to Cheltenham, Exeter, Warwick and Wincanton Racecourses.

Final Choice (Warren Greatrex) could line up for the syndicate in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial on Festival Trials Day.

Bred by Her Majesty The Queen and a winner on the Flat at Bath when trained by Roger Charlton, Final Choice made a promising hurdling debut when runner-up in a juvenile hurdle at Warwick on December 8 and stepped up on that effort when the eight-length winner of a similar contest at Newbury on December 31.

Upper Lambourn-based Greatrex said: "There is a possibility Final Choice could go to Cheltenham for the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial on Festival Trials Day. He is also in at Newbury this week and will also get an entry for Ascot on January 21. We will keep an eye on the weather and come to a decision.

"He did it very well at Newbury last time out. You can't really gauge him at home as he is very lazy. He raced a bit lazily at Newbury but is a very strong stayer, handles soft ground and jumps very well.

"I wouldn't really have a handle on where we are yet - I think he could be a lot better than we have seen because I think he will get better and better.

"He may require some form of headgear at some point just to sharpen him up as I think he may be a horse that is always going to run quite lazily. In better races, he might just need to be a bit sharper."

An added bonus to the race programme on Festival Trials Day in 2017 is the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (2.50pm, 3m 6f 37y), which was rescheduled following its abandonment at The Open in November due to the lack of rain.

Festival Trials Day concludes with the £25,000 Steel Plate & Sections Handicap Hurdle (4.35pm, 2m 179y).

[ryanh97]

It appears that Taquin du Seuil will be in the Cotswolde on Trials day

[ryanh97]

Vezelay looks to be entered in the Cotswolde aswell

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/article/465/10731095/emmanuel-clayeux-to-run-vezelay-in-cotswold-chase-at-cheltenham

[ryanh97]

Clarence House tomorrow looks like its gonna be cancelled. Normally rearranged to Trials Day, we already have an 8 race card though - surely it wont go over 8 races?

[Istabraq]

I hadn't realised the meeting was in that much doubt ryan, but temperature not expected to get above freezing until late morning.
They won't play with the Cheltenham schedule for Trials Day so I suspect the race will be lost.
A wild one might be for them to transfer the entire card to Cheltenham who put the card on Friday though I don't know what restrictions and logistical challenges might exist for this to happen.

Several years ago they squeezed the 'hurricane' Wednesday card into Thu and Fri creating two of the best days racing ever to be staged, but 11 race cards are easier in March than Jan given daylight...

[ryanh97]

Yeah the clerk of the course said that unless the forecast s very wrong they won't be racing. I was reading on the RP that normally if cancelled they would just have the grade 1 on Trials day but due to the cross country being put on Trials Day its unlikely. The Clerk also said discussions are underway to rearrange it soon

[Liam301287]

How much are pints down at Cheltenham guys? So I know for next week.

[mayo]

How much are pints down at Cheltenham guys? So I know for next week.

http://www.pintprice.com/city.php?/Cheltenham/United%20Kingdom/gbp.htm

[Faugheen_Machine]

You don't get much (if any) change out of £5 for a pint at the course, in fact, a pint of the black stuff cost over £5 at the festival if memory serves me correct.