Cheltenham sets summer date to decide which festival race will be lost

Cheltenham expects to make a decision on which festival race will be ditched for a mares' chase in the early part of the summer.

In August, the home of jump racing announced a mares' chase would be introduced for the 2021 meeting, but there was no confirmation of which contest would be lost.

At the time, Paddy Power made the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase their 5-4 favourite to go, while the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, which is better known as the Fred Winter, was next at 9-4.

Ian Renton, the regional director for Cheltenham and Jockey Club Racecourses's south-west venues, said on Wednesday: "We'll make a decision after we've fully reviewed this year's festival, so it will probably be early summer. There's a deadline, I think, of July with the Pattern Committee, so we'll make sure we do it in early summer.

"Dropping a race that isn't a Grade 1 means it probably is our decision, but we'll discuss it with the BHA, owners and trainers.

"I think when we announced the mares' chase the media coverage – will it be this, will it be that – was really helpful and we'll welcome the views of the public as well. We're very happy to hear anyone's views as to which race should go."

The National Hunt Chase, which came into focus at last year's festival and had its distance reduced in light of welfare concerns, was another race suggested, while the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase is also thought to be in the mix.

The National Hunt Chase was won by Le Breuil (right) last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Renton does not anticipate the new mares' race being an instant hit, but believes its introduction is important for the wider good of the sport.

He added: "I think when we announced the mares' race there were four or five races put up that covered the likely ones. I think when I was first asked which race would go, it was put to me the mares' novice hurdle should be dropped, but we're not going to introduce a mares' chase to drop that.

"We've been talking about a mares' chase for a while and it was initially the BHA coming to us about it and the answer was, 'Yes, when the time is right'. I think it's fair to say the BHA and others have been keen on the race to promote mares' racing. I'm equally keen, but wanted to wait until we saw a reasonable growth in the top-rated mares.

"Looking at the 2018-19 season was the first time, I felt, we'd seen that move upwards. I'm not going to pretend in year one it will be the strongest race at the festival. There's got to be a bit of chicken and egg, but we wanted to announce it 18 months in advance so people can prepare mares for chasing.

"It will come with time and putting on that race will encourage people to send their mares chasing."

A like-for-like switch to fit in the mares' chase is unlikely according to Renton, who continued: "Depending on what goes, we'll probably want to fiddle a little with the programme, so there'd be tweaks."

The track's supremo was also relaxed about backing of the Stayers' Hurdle, which has not yet got a sponsor, having been staged under the banner of the Sun and its defunct betting arm for the last three years.

He said: "We are in discussions at the moment and the likelihood is it will be sponsored."

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