Cheltenham Festival: Why are the Old Course and New Course so different?

There are certain obscure details about Cheltenham that the uninitiated would be completely unaware of, and understandably so.

One of those is a particular detail on the racecard that may seem insignificant but actually makes a massive difference.

Races on the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival are run on the Old Course before days three and four are run on the New Course.

It would be reasonable to assume that as both are next to each other, the differences would be minor, but that isn’t the case at all.

Cheltenham’s courses have significant differences, as one course places more emphasis on speed and the other stamina. Here we go through some of the major differences that it would be a massive benefit for punters to know.

Old Course

On the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival, the old course is used and it’s a much speedier track with a significantly shorter run-in. It’s a tighter track and there are more turns involved. It’s no accident that the two shorter championship races are on days one and two.

In chase races on the old course, the second-last fence can be a tricky one and many horses have been caught out by it over the years. It’s an awkward downhill fence which comes at you quickly after a bend and jumping it well can make a big difference.

It’s also worth noting that the Old Course is the more undulating of the two tracks and this is why well balanced horses tend to perform better.

The second and third-last flights are downhill in hurdles races so it’s important to catch those on a good stride. It’s probably a little bit harder for hold up horses to make up the ground so speedier front runners often have a significant advantage.

New Course

The New Course places much more emphasis on stamina and there’s also an extra fence on the chase track, with 14 obstacles as opposed to 13 on the other course.

Patience is a virtue on this course and it’s very important that jockeys hold their nerve and don’t go too soon.

One of the most notable differences is that there’s considerably more racing to do once you turn for home. Hold up horses are much less disadvantaged with this in mind and it’s less likely that you will suffer trouble in running which can prevent you from winning.

In some ways, experienced jockeys have an advantage here as there will be plenty of opportunities for horses to gain ground in the last few furlongs and knowing the right time to push the button can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Both the Stayers’ Hurdle (three miles) and the Gold Cup (three miles two-and-a-half furlongs) are run on the New Course and that tells you everything you need to know.