Cheltenham field sizes approach pre-Covid levels with Mighty Potter's owners Caldwell Construction joining festival big players

Cheltenham field sizes approach pre-Covid levels with Mighty Potter's owners joining festival big players

Cheltenham: raced on soft ground on Tuesday

Cheltenham: field sizes creeping towards pre-pandemic levelsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Field sizes at the Cheltenham Festival bounced back towards pre-pandemic levels, with the numbers buoyed by a set of colours quickly becoming a powerful presence during jump racing’s flagship four days.

The red and white silks of Caldwell Construction accounted for ten runners, including Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle winner Jazzy Matty and Mighty Potter, who finished third after being sent off odds-on in the Turners Novices' Chase.

Field sizes were their highest for three years in 11 races, with six of those being Grade 1s. The average was up to 15.9, an increase of 1.4 from last year and edging back towards the 17.1 of 2020, the last festival staged before the Covid-19 lockdowns.

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Charlie HugginsReporter

Published on 20 March 2023inCheltenham Festival

Last updated 19:45, 20 March 2023

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