Scottish Daily Mail

Cheltenham cheers fans with early declaratio­ns

- By SAM TURNER

THE British Horseracin­g Authority has bowed to popular opinion and will introduce 48-hour declaratio­ns for all races at next year’s Cheltenham Festival. The overdue move will provide much-needed clarity for racing fans with regards to running plans and the shape of some of National Hunt racing’s most iconic contests. The six non-novice Grade One contests, such as the Stan James Champion Hurdle and the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, have operated under 48-hour declaratio­ns since 2004, but plenty of Cheltenham’s allure is wrapped up in the big-field handicaps which attract huge betting interest. Previously, those eager to see which horses would line up the following day were drip-fed declaratio­ns on social media from 10am, but under the new move all parties will enjoy an extra day to focus on the races in question. Richard Wayman, chief operating officer at the BHA, said: ‘We have taken on board feedback from racing fans, the betting public and the media. ‘We appreciate that, in some circumstan­ces, this could create an extra challenge for trainers, but we want to ensure that the sport is in a position where it can make the very most of what are such an important four days in the British racing calendar.’

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