Hurrah, Cheltenham is back - and it's time to cut the course a bit of slack
It's time to rejoice, Cheltenham is back on Friday – and racing fans need to change their attitude towards jump racing HQ on the eve of its new season.
It seems criticism of Cheltenham has been non-stop since 2021 – the year behind closed doors – from its programme, the experience, field sizes, odds-on shots, price of pints to the prospect of a five-day festival. We're all guilty, and a lot of the flak is fair because Cheltenham has not always felt as special as it used to.
But simply blaming the racecourse for all the issues is in itself not quite fair. Change in racing is generally apace with Santini's turn of foot, but when issues have arisen at Cheltenham they have generally been addressed in a timely and professional manner.
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