Ticket gross sales for the 2026 festival assembly at Cheltenham are forward of the degrees on the identical level 12 months in the past and there may be rising confidence on the observe that attendance will likely be up at subsequent month’s showpiece assembly after sharp declines over the previous three seasons.
This 12 months’s festival, which opens on 10 March, would be the second since Guy Lavender took over as Cheltenham’s chief government at first of 2025, however the first at which it ought to be doable to evaluate the impact of a spread of initiatives to enhance the shopper expertise which were launched during the last 15 months.
“Overall we are very positive about where we are for sales at the festival,” Lavender stated on Friday, “and there is growth from last year. It’s too early to give definitive numbers and there are a few days to go, but overall we are moving in the right direction.”
Recent modifications on the assembly embody the reintroduction of a Ladies’ Day on Wednesday, probably the most poorly attended day in latest seasons, and a rest of guidelines on areas the place alcohol might be consumed.
“I think growth is really important,” Lavender stated. “I said last year [when attendance again declined] that I didn’t think it was about the numbers, per se. We’ve introduced a number of changes and I think they are making a positive difference on attendance.”
Another space recognized as a number one deterrent for potential racegoers was the excessive price of in a single day lodging inside simple attain of the observe, and a partnership with a neighborhood journey agency to deal with the difficulty has led to vital progress.
“We launched Room To Race ahead of last year’s festival and we’ve seen massive growth this year,” Lavender stated. “We’re definitely seeing a shift in accommodation providers wanting to work with us. It’s not perfect and there are still operators charging silly prices but in the round, we are seeing a rebalancing.”
Cheltenham should still be “next month”, till Sunday at the least, however the bonus-race season may be very a lot with us and the winner of Saturday’s Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso may earn one other £100,000 for connections with a follow-up on the festival.
Eight of the 17 runners maintain at the least one entry in a festival handicap – and Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’s Spectacularsunrise has no fewer than three – however an apparent exception is Cracking Rhapsody (2.55), the Morebattle winner for the previous two seasons.
The two-mile hurdles observe at Kelso is Cracking Rhapsody’s glad place, and Ewan Whillans’s gelding has kind figures of 2-1-1-1-1 over course and distance.
Saturday’s race has clearly been his goal for the final 12 months, and whereas Cracking Rhapsody’s three begins to this point this season have been underwhelming, the return to Kelso, off a mark simply 4lb larger than in 2025, ought to see vital enchancment on that kind.
Quick GuideGreg Wood’s Saturday’s suggestions
Show
Lingfield 1.00 One Cool Dreamer 1.30 Escape Plan 2.05 Captain Fox 2.35 Richie’s Rocket 3.10 Poke The Bear 3.52 Royal Jet 4.30 Jake Loves Laura 5.05 Oman.
Kelso 1.10 Doyen Du Bar 1.40 Protektorat 2.15 Lord Byron 2.55 Cracking Rhapsody (nb) 3.30 Bold Light (nap) 4.00 Keyboard 4.35 A Path To Ronda 5.10 Al Kalila.
Doncaster 1.25 Coolanna 1.55 Mighty Bandit 2.30 Jasmin De Grugy 3.05 Dropematthestation 3.40 Chevington 4.15 Porter In The Park 4.50 Ivor Bear.
Newbury 1.35 Eddie My Eagle 2.10 Brentford Hope 2.40 Rodney 3.15 Eldorado Allen 3.45 Twinjets 4.23 Kilwaughter 4.58 Malina Road.
Southwell 4.21 Goldmoyne 4.55 Lord Capulet 5.30 Shafi 6.00 No Nay Data 6.30 Chantelle 7.00 Saytarr 7.30 Pursuit Of Love 8.00 Seraphic 8.30 Contorno.
Kelso 1.10: Doyen Du Bar travelled finest for a great distance over additional final time and this drop again in journey may very well be a successful transfer.
Doncaster 1.25: All eight go to submit with an opportunity however twice-raced Coolanna could have most scope for progress and this step up in journey appears positive to go well with.
Kelso 1.40: The stylish Protektorat will begin at very brief odds to beat three inferior rivals.
Doncaster 1.55: Mighty Bandit’s profession has taken a optimistic flip over fences and he seems to be poised to observe up his latest win over observe and journey.
Kelso 2.15: Lord Byron, the one juvenile, will get almost a stone from his rivals and his kind behind Maestro Conti, a number one Triumph Hurdle candidate, final time places him proper within the combine.
Doncaster 2.30: Jasmin De Grugy has been given time to recover from a heavy fall and nonetheless has scope from this mark after simply six begins over fences.
Newbury 3.15: Joe Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen has a string of good efforts in comparable contests to his identify and is the share name in opposition to some youthful rivals with inquiries to reply.
Kelso 3.30: Lucinda Russell’s yard has endured a troublesome winter however latest indicators are extra promising and Bold Light reverts to hurdles on a 3lb decrease mark than when profitable on this race final 12 months.
Newbury 3.45: The return to the scene of his convincing success in November may show best for Twinjets after a fall at Cheltenham final time.
