Racing

Cheltenham day two crowd continues alarming drop in festival attendances

Wednesday’s card was reduced to six races after the Cross-Country course failed inspection

Langer Dan ridden by jockey Harry Skelton (far right) on their way to winning the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA Wire
Langer Dan ridden by jockey Harry Skelton (far right) on their way to winning the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA Wire
Brian O'Connor at Cheltenham
Wed Mar 13 2024 - 19:54

Wednesday’s official attendance of 46,771 continued an alarming dip in recent crowd figures at the Cheltenham Festival.

After a record overall attendance of over 280,000 at the 2022 post-pandemic festival – which included a 64,431 attendance on day two – there was a 14 per cent drop last year.

That trend has continued this week with Tuesday’s crowd of just over 60,000 failing to reach the new 68,500 capacity imposed by the Jockey Club.

The latest Wednesday figure is down from the almost 50,000 corresponding crowd figure a year ago.

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It comes on the back of concerns expressed on the lead-up to the festival in relation to slow ticket sales and the perception of competition problems at jump racing’s biggest meeting of the year.

Wednesday’s card was also reduced to six races after the Cross-Country course failed a morning inspection and was abandoned.

Cheltenham’s managing director, Ian Renton, said on Wednesday night: “Today has been one which will live long in the memory for racing fans, with Willie Mullins reaching the magical and historic milestone of 100 Cheltenham Festival winners.

“It is entirely possible that we will never see this feat repeated in our lifetime and this incredible achievement cements his status as one of the greatest jumps trainers of his or any other generation.”

At the halfway point of the festival, Paul Townend is on course to be crowned leading rider once again and is currently on four winners after Ballyburn’s success in Wednesday’s opener.

Captain Guinness’s shock Queen Mother Champion Chase victory put Rachael Blackmore on to two winners while English rider Harry Skelton is also on two after a double for his brother Dan on Langer Dan and Unexpected Party on Wednesday.

Jockey Michael O’Sullivan was handed a two-day suspension by the Cheltenham stewards on Wednesday after being found to have ridden carelessly on Shanbally Kid, who finished third to Langer Dan in the Coral Cup.

The stewards decided O’Sullivan allowed his mount to drift left-handed when insufficiently clear of the favourite Built By Ballymore on the bend after the second flight, carrying that horse off its intended line. It further caused another runner, Might I, to become short of room.

Top British rider Harry Cobden won’t have his jockeys’ championship hopes helped by a three-day ban picked up in the opening Gallaher Novice Hurdle.

Cobden was found guilty of careless riding after being judged to have moved his mount, Handstands, left-handed at the fourth flight when insufficiently clear of the Danny Mullins-ridden Predators Gold.

The abandonment of Wednesday’s Cross Country has reduced to 27 the number of this week’s festival races and at halfway the Anglo-Irish score is 10-3 in favour of the raiders. All three of the home team’s winners have come in handicaps.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column