Nicky Henderson: “I have to say I think it’s the right decision”

HAVING read of the changes to the G1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, I have to say I think it’s the right decision and I’m very much in favour of it going back to a Novices’ Handicap.

We don’t know what the rating band is going to be yet, but I suspect it will be a little bit higher and might even end up being a 0-150.

To be perfectly honest with you I was very happy with the ‘old’ race; certainly from a betting and field size point of view, it was obviously a miles better race. It was an extremely competitive handicap which never had much more than a 5lbs weight range separating the whole field, so you had to make sure your horse was handicapped to get into the race in the first place.

It is obviously a shame to lose a Grade One race, no one wants to see that, but I do hope that they find room for another Grade One 2m4f Novices’ Chase somewhere, because we seriously need it. That is one thing that is desperately missing across the board and it doesn’t have to be at Cheltenham. Aintree have theirs and there’s no reason why there isn’t room for another somewhere else at some stage during the season. When and where I am not sure, but I do think some consideration could be in order to discuss if it is possible. In the meantime, I think we have to accept what Cheltenham are doing is the sensible thing to do and I suspect they will be rewarded with a very strong field.

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