The Cheltenham Festival will remain a four-day fixture, the Jockey Club has revealed.
There was widespread expectancy that the Prestbury Park showpiece would become a five-day event from 2024. But after extensive consultation it has been decided the best way forward is to keep the current format in place.
Ian Renton, who runs Cheltenham as managing director of the Jockey Club's west region, said: "At the Jockey Club we care deeply about the long-term future of our sport and its role in society. That's a mission that enables us to think differently when making decisions. While we explored the financial benefits and an opportunity to reach new audiences, we also found a number of counterpoints to this.
"For example, it is clear that it would be challenging from a turf management perspective, without further work on the track, and on balance we still feel 28 races over four days is the right format.
"This research allows us to do much more than simply answer the question of whether extending the Festival is the right thing to do.
"We will now evaluate all the insight with a view to improving our facilities, investing in new on-course activations and giving our fanbase, participants, owners and other stakeholders the best possible experience at Cheltenham Racecourse.
"We are extremely grateful to everyone who has taken part in this process and have welcomed the opportunity to listen to racehorse owners, participants, Jockey Club colleagues, the local community, our partners, loyal racing fans and many others with a passion for our sport and the Festival."
The move has come as a surprise to many racing figures outside the Jockey Club who had had fully expected the fifth day to be added for 2024, and there was also believed to be some support from within the Jockey Club for adding the fifth day.
Yet the Jockey Club, led by chief executive Nevin Truesdale, always said the final decision on whether to extend the festival would be based on the data gathered during the six-month consultation.
