Four into five won't go: how Cheltenham's dilution has already gone too far

When the tapes finally rose, one hot topic to punctuate the Cheltenham preamble was engulfed by the maelstrom. It has not been mentioned since but the idea that a fifth day could be added without diminishing the sense of theatre was manifestly exposed.

It goes without saying the majority of professionals would welcome it. One more day means more races, bringing more winning opportunities. Yet on last week's evidence the current 28-race format has overstretched the elastic already. As things stand, the creation of extra races for a fourth day in 2005 has brought an imbalance that is hard to justify.

More of that later; let's first consider what shape a fifth day on Saturday might take. One train of thought is it should resemble the old Heath day at Ascot, which followed on from the royal meeting when that was four days. This would give the good folk of Cheltenham the chance to go racing without interrupting their working week, when many are manning the town's bars, restaurants and retail outlets at their busiest time of the year.