Cheltenham Old Course vs New Course – The Key Differences of the Cheltenham Festival Tracks

Aside from the Glenfarclas Chase, run on the Cross Country Steeplechase Course, all the races at the Cheltenham Festival take place on the Old Course, on days one and two, or the New Course, on days three and four.

Both courses are left-handed, galloping and undulating in nature, with stiff, unforgiving fences and an uphill climb to the winning post throughout the last half a mile. However, while they may appear similar, superficially, there are fundamental differences between the two courses, such that horses with a particular style of racing may be better suited to one than the other.

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Old Course

At a mile and a half in circumference, the Old Course is only half a furlong shorter than the New Course, but is far and away the sharper of the two. From its highest point, the Old Course takes the shortest, quickest route to the winning post and, if the going is on the fast side, presents a genuine test of speed. In any event, horses that race prominently and have the tactical speed to take up, and hold, a position, typically fare well on the Old Course, especially in steeplechases at distances short of three miles, such as the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Horses that can travel easily within themselves, and have a turn of foot, also have a healthy record on the hurdles track, in races such as the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Champion Hurdle.

Speaking of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the 2021 renewal appears likely to feature a showdown between the stoutly-bred Appreciate It, who won a point-to-point over 3 miles as a 4-year-old, and Metier, who has plenty of stamina in his pedigree, but won over 1 mile 1½ furlongs on the Flat as a 3-year-old. Both horses are Grade One winners over hurdles on soft or heavy going, but with the going on the Old Course currently good to soft and some, but not much, rain forecast, it’s not hard to envisage the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle playing to the strengths of Metier.

 

New Course

By contrast, the New Course takes a parallel, but less direct route to the winning post. The hurdles track, in particular, has just two flights in the final three-quarters of a mile or so, which places the emphasis more on stamina than speed. Consequently, horses ridden with restraint have a more time to make ground from off the pace and, with the leaders often committing for home early – in many cases, too early – in maximum-field handicaps, such as the Pertemps Network Final and County Hurdle, hold-up performers often do well in these contests.

As far as the 2022 Cheltenham Festival is concerned, one horse that definitely fits the bill is Imperial Alcazar, trained by Fergal O’Brien, who comfortably won a Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier at Warwick in January and has been mooted as a Stayers’ Hurdle contender. The Pertemps Network Final, for which he is ante-post favourite, appears the much likelier option and his hold-up style should be admirably suited to the demands of that race.

 

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