Punters have blasted a new rule that will come into effect later this year that will impact next year's Cheltenham Festival.
The new rule will be in effect from October 1 and it states that novice and juvenile horses will be required to run a minimum of four times prior to competing in Class 1 or Class 2 handicap hurdle races.
In a statement released from the BHA, it reads: "From 1 October 2022, novice and juvenile horses will be required to run a minimum of four times (up from three) prior to competing in a Class 1 or Class 2 handicap hurdle race.
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"Increasing the minimum number of runs from three to four gives the handicappers more information on which to base their assessment, with the aim of boosting the fairness and competitiveness of our major handicaps.
"No changes will be made to the qualification rules for Class 1 and Class 2 novice or juvenile handicap hurdle races, or to any Class 1 and Class 2 handicap steeple chases."
The rule would have shaped the landscape of the 2022 Festival and it would have meant that County Hurdle winner State Man would not have been able to run.
And punters are not happy about the new rule as they flocked to social media.
One punter said: "Real shame"
While another defended it as 'good news'.
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