Robbie Power backs decision to continue four-day Cheltenham Festival

FORMER National Hunt jockey Robbie Power has backed the decision to keep the Cheltenham Festival at four days. 

What’s your immediate reaction to Cheltenham's decision to keep the Festival at four days?

Robbie Power: I think it’s the right decision to keep Cheltenham as a four-day festival. I was very worried that if it went to a five-day festival then we would lose the quality of the racing and a festival like that should be all about quality.

Have the authorities bowed to pressure from those within the sport to keep it at four days?

RP: I think there was possibly an element of pressure but if they went to a five-day festival then you would’ve had six-race cards and it would’ve diluted the quality of the racing, which you don’t want to do. Financially it was the wrong decision, but from a racing perspective it’s definitely good.

Is it the right decision for the long-term prosperity of National Hunt racing?

RP: It’s definitely good for the long-term prosperity of National Hunt racing. Cheltenham is really special because it’s every year and there’s top quality racing. You have to be wary of having too much of something and we don’t need more of Cheltenham because we already have enough of it.

I think the decision will be reviewed every couple of years without a doubt, but I hope for the sport that it stays the way it is because it’s perfect at the moment. 

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Is this a missed opportunity to attract new fans to the sport?

RP: Cheltenham remaining a four-day festival isn’t a missed opportunity because everyone already knows about Cheltenham already and keeping things the way they are was always the right decision.

Should a Saturday raceday be included within the existing four day Festival schedule to appeal to those who can't attend on a weekday?

RP: No a Saturday shouldn’t be included in the current schedule because there’s always other sports on during a Saturday. For example, I think the Six Nations clashes on that Saturday and no one wants Cheltenham to clash with other big sporting events.

Would five days of the Cheltenham Festival have taken the shine off the big Irish festivals?

RP: I don’t think five days of Cheltenham would take the shine away from big Irish festivals, there’s still plenty of opportunity for Irish horses and the schedule is ok the way that it is.

Grand National-winning jockey Power was speaking to BoyleSports Horse Racing