Jockey Club chief insists five-day Cheltenham Festival 'not a fait accompli'

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale has insisted that extending the Cheltenham Festival to five days was not "a fait accompli" as he acknowledged there were persuasive arguments for and against stretching the meeting to a new Saturday conclusion.

After missing out on attending last year's behind-closed-doors festival, fans will return on Tuesday to the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the year, with both the Thursday and Friday already sold out.

The possibility of attracting a new audience has been cited as the overriding reason behind the Jockey Club's decision to consider a fifth day.

Opponents of the idea have claimed the dilution of quality and competition that occurred when the festival grew from three days to four in 2005 would inevitably increase again, while a slump in entries for this year's races – already mirrored by some disappointing field sizes – has raised questions over whether now is the right time to add further contests.

Nevin Truesdale: 'There are many pros and cons to a fifth day'

Speaking to the Racing Post, Truesdale confirmed the 2023 festival would definitely remain at four days and pointed to the importance of an imminent consultation process with interested parties.

"There are many pros and cons to a fifth day," said Truesdale. "You have to look at this sport in five years' time and ask, how are we going to make sure we stay relevant and accessible?

"One of the very few big festivals without a weekend day is Cheltenham. You therefore have to look at five days as a serious proposition, certainly based on the ticket sales we've seen this year. However, I can absolutely see there are very valid 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' arguments.

"The important things to stress are that we won't do anything without consulting and that a five-day festival is not a fait accompli. A myth has gone round that a decision has already been made. That is simply not the case.

"We are the custodians of this fantastic asset and we want to consult so we can know what the industry, fans and potential fans think. All that will ultimately drive the decision."

The Cheltenham Festival will remain over four days in 2023 but nothing beyond that has been decidedCredit: Edward Whitaker

Expanding on the arguments on both sides of the debate, Truesdale said: "We have to be very careful as an industry not to be insular. The holy grail of every sport is attracting the next generation. Without that, you don't have a sport.

"It's all about attracting a new audience without spoiling what you've got. However, I do think the issue around entries and field sizes is a separate one and not relevant to five days.

"It's no secret that we're talking about adding two extra races – and there are ways of putting in two extra races that do not dilute what we've got at the moment.

"The fact we would be staging six-race cards is something we would have to look at when considering what we would be charging. Going from seven to six races a day would self-evidently be one of the big cons."

Explaining why it was highly unlikely the festival could remain at four days but run from Wednesday to Saturday, Truesdale noted that main channel ITV coverage could not be guaranteed on a Saturday due to the broadcaster's Six Nations commitments.

"To run the festival over four days but end on a Saturday would be a very difficult economic decision. The hospitality you would get on the Saturday wouldn't come close to the hospitality you would lose on the Tuesday."

Read more:

A five-day Cheltenham Festival? Nicky Henderson 'can't see a reason why not'

'They are diluting it more and more' - Carl Llewellyn against five-day festival

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