Haldon Gold Cup to be run on Friday in 2022 with track 'hopeful' of ITV coverage

The Haldon Gold Cup is to be moved from its traditional Tuesday slot to a Friday from 2022 with officials at Exeter "hopeful" the switch will help secure terrestrial TV coverage for its flagship race.

The decision has been praised by champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who has won the race on seven occasions and used it as a launchpad for the careers of subsequent Champion Chase heroes Flagship Uberalles and Politologue.

The Grade 2 run over 2m1½f typically serves as a trial for the Grade 1 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown a month later, but the impressive roll of honour also includes three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, while Edredon Bleu and Cue Card went on to win the King George VI Chase after success in Devon.

In 2022, the race will be run on November 4 and form part of a blockbuster weekend in the West Country with Wincanton's popular Badger Beers Chase the following day.

Paul Nicholls: 'The Haldon Gold Cup is a great race en route to going to other races'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Nicholls, who saddled Greaneteen to win last season, said: "It's a good race and one I always like to support. Having it the Friday before Wincanton means we'll have a fantastic two days down in the West Country. The Haldon Gold Cup is a great race en route to going to other races. There's no negative in my knowledge.

"Exeter is a top-class track and you wouldn't be afraid to run any horse there. We ran the likes of Denman and Kauto Star in novice chases down there."

Away from major festivals, the Haldon Gold Cup is one of the biggest midweek jumps races of the season and Exeter was keen to keep that element as part of its heritage.

The Devon track only featured on ITV for the first time last season, and the racecourse is in talks with the network regarding coverage going forward. It has not been confirmed yet, but the course is optimistic.

'We'd love it to be televised'

Jack Parkinson, general manager for Exeter and Wincanton, said: "I felt the race deserved a bit more around it and more emphasis on it. There's no Saturday available so I thought the next best thing would be a Friday.

"We've had conversations with ITV, they've got their broadcast schedule at the moment, but this is something we're trying to push as much as we can. At the moment it's not on, but we'll keep having the conversations and in an ideal world we'd love it to be televised. We're hopeful that'll be the case.

"Also, we'll look at bulking up the rest of the card, looking at prize-money and the other races and seeing if we can add to it as a day in the whole."

Valuable Sunday meetings among key features of 2022 fixture list

A big south-west double ticket is something being considered for 2022, as Parkinson added: "I took over at Wincanton as well in November and this was something that completely made sense, and for all those keen racegoers we'll try and see if we can do a double ticket."

The Kennford Novices' Hurdle, which preceded the Haldon Gold Cup last season would also be an intriguing addition to the ITV coverage having been won by Yanworth, Dynamite Dollars and Bravemansgame in recent years. Gold Cup hero Native River also won the novice chase on the card in 2015.

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