Gold Cup-winning jockey Mick Fitzgerald thinks introducing a veterans’ chase to Cheltenham is a great idea, 76 per cent of voters in a Racing Post poll on Twitter agree and a leading bookmaker is convinced it would be a roaring success, but it is not top of the wishlist of track supremo Ian Renton, who said on Sunday the next new race at the festival would probably be a mares’ chase.
The success of the enigmatic Buywise in the final of the veterans’ chase series at Sandown on Saturday was described by his trainer Evan Williams as heartwarming, while 13-year-olds Raz De Maree and Alfie Spinner fought out the finish of Chepstow’s Coral Welsh Grand National on the same afternoon.
The now-retired Fitzgerald, who won the Gold Cup on See More Business in 1999, said on Twitter about a veterans’ chase at Cheltenham: “Why shouldn’t there be? So hard for exposed older horses to win those handicaps at the festival.”
The idea was also welcomed by jockeys Leighton Aspell and Welsh Grand National-winning James Bowen on Monday Jury duty for the Racing Post, but Renton, while not closing the door in creating a race for the golden oldies, suggested it is not high on Cheltenham’s agenda.
Renton, part of the group that oversaw the introduction of the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the 2016 festival, said: “It’s fair to say whenever a series like this is as successful as it has been, it’s something we’d look very carefully at as to whether there is an opportunity, but to date there has never been any serious discussion about a veterans’ race at the festival.
“The mares’ novice hurdle – and we continue to look at the option of introducing a mares’ chase in due course – came in for very specific reasons to encourage more fillies and mares in jump racing. I think at the moment it would be anticipated that the next new race would probably be a mares’ chase.
“We review all the races after each festival and there’s been discussion for a mares’ chase for a number of years and it’s a case of ensuring there is a population of good enough mares chasing to ensure the race would work.
“It’s a little bit of a chicken-and-egg situation that if there was a mares’ chase at the festival it would encourage more mares into chasing, but if we were to introduce a race we’d want to be sure it was a success.
“We have 28 races and try to ensure they are all of the highest quality, but the success of the veterans’ series means it’s something we’ll certainly look at.”
Should such a race become part of jump racing’s most important week it would be a fine addition, according to Coral’s Simon Clare.
“Veterans’ chases are hugely popular with punters,” he said. “Even on a Monday or Tuesday, if you have a handicap chase with your old favourites running, you love it. That’s the edge jump racing has over Flat racing, the huge amount of familiarity, and these older chasers are like old friends.
“It would work at the festival and it’d be a roaring success in betting terms.”
Clare also called on the programme to be expanded, adding: “Racing has done a great job developing the veterans’ series, but I think it’s got far more scope. There should be more veterans’ races over two miles and more over hurdles, and lower-grade races too. It doesn’t have to be for the 140-150 horses.
“I was lucky enough to own a horse called Nozic, who ran in the Grand National and Welsh National in his pomp, but in his teenage years he won three times over two miles. Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re slow and need extreme distances.”
