Cheltenham Festival could be set for major shake-up with popular race 'axed'

The Cheltenham Festival could be set for some major changes next year, with the Turners Novices' Chase chief amongst them. The Grade 1 contest is set to become an open novice handicap chase in 2025 as part of a significant shake-up, according to reports.

One of three Grade 1 novice chases at the meeting, the Turners – originally and officially known as the Golden Miller Novices’ Chase, is usually run on the third day of the festival and debuted in 2011.

It has come under fire for attracting top-graded horses away from other, more competitive novice chasing contests, and just four runners took part in the 2022 renewal. Harry and Dan Skelton bested British rivals Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden when seven-year-old Grey Dawning edged out Ginny’s Destiny to win in 2024.

The grey gelding went off joint-favourite with 2024 British National Hunt Champion Trainer Willie Mullins’ Facile Vega, who disappointed. In the infamous 2022 contest – which saw odds-on favourite and two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs fall at the last when 12 lengths clear – Rachael Blackmore and short-priced Bob Olinger triumphed in a four-horse race.

Many have criticised the Grade 1 contest, with it thought to be impacting the other preferred novice chases at Cheltenha, namely the the Arkle Novices' Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – both won in 2024 by Mullins, with Rich Ricci’s Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File respectively.

"I understand why the changes are being made but ultimately I think the Cheltenham Festival should be about the best competing against the best rather than handicaps," managing director of Turners Paul Day told the Racing Post. "It's disappointing, but it is what it is."

The 2m4f contest could have featured some of Closutton's big hitters, with Aintree Hurdle winner Impaire Et Passe (who missed the festival in 2024) and smart Triumph Hurdle winner Majborough, who is prematurely tipped to go novice chasing this term, potential market leaders.

The changes, as reported by the Racing Post, don't end there, however. The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will also return to handicap status when the festival rolls around in 2025. The race, which was abandoned last year due to the course’s inside circuit being waterlogged, was originally brought in as a handicap in 2005 when the meet moved to four days - but was altered to a conditions contest in 2016.

The three–and–quarter–mile test has been dominated by Gordon Elliott, with Grand National hero Tiger Roll a three-time winner, and Delta Work denied the chance at a hat trick at the last renewal. Both changes are set to be implemented for the four-day meeting scheduled for March 11 and March 14, 2025.

Responding to the reports, a spokesperson for Cheltenham Racecourse said: “It has been in the public domain for some time that we are looking at a number of aspects of the Cheltenham Festival following this year’s fixture.