NEW YEAR'S CHELTENHAM NH MEETING -- NEW YEARS DAY 2021 (ABANDONED)

Welcome 2021, A Happy New Year to you all.

We should have been kicking off the new year with the traditional New Year 1st January meeting at Cheltenham, which would have been broadcast live on ITV once again. We have about ten weeks till the Cheltenham festival in March so each meeting should have it's own clues to the future, maybe not so much the big races but the handicaps will certainly attract plenty of interest. 

UPDATE - New Year's Day racing at Cheltenham has been abandoned due to a waterlogged course.  The seven-race card was due to feature the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle.

A racecourse spokesperson said: "Following 85mm of rainfall since last Wednesday, there are areas of waterlogged ground across the width of the course and it is therefore not raceable."

It would have been a nice start to the season to have some racing today but the weather has already intervened, already lost key meetings at Chepstow (Welsh National) and the snow claimed Haydock's midweek card too.

A seven race card today, the feature events are a pair of Grade 2 contests, the Dipper Novices Chase and the Relkeel Hurdle which are both run over a trip of 2m 4f. Hopefully we might be able to reschedule these two soon?

Going Report - Heavy.
Weather - Going to be cloudy and cold on New Year's Day with a high of only 3C.
Here are our selections for the New Year Day card;
12:10  2m 4f 56y Novice Hurdle (Listed)
2m 4f 56y  xx runners.
Sadly on Wednesday we heard that the New Year Day meeting has been abandoned due to a waterlogged course.

Result: .

12:45  Paddy Power Handicap Chase.

3m 2f 70y  xx runners.
Hope you have a good New Year despite this lost fixture.

Result: .

Midnight Shadow wins 2020 Dipper Chase as Champ falls

13:20  "The Dipper" Novices Chase (Grade 2).
2m 4f 127y  xx runners.
The first of our feature races here, at the early entries stage only four runners were declared. Sadly this might have to be rescheduled if possible.

Result: .

13:55  Paddy Power Millionaire Handicap Chase (Grade 3).
2m 4f 127y  xx runners.
Abandoned.

Result: .

14:30  Paddy Power 74 Sleeps To Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle.

2m 7f 213y  xx runners.
Abandoned.

Result: .

Summerville Boy won last years renewal 

15:05  Relkeel Hurdle (Grade 2).
2m 4f 56y  xx runners.
The second of our Grade Two contests is the Relkeel Hurdle. 

Abandoned.

Result: .

15:35  Cheltenham Pony Club 'Junior' NH Flat Race (Listed).
1m 5f 209y  xx runners.
We end with a listed class bumper event, bit better than we usually see of this type .

Abandoned.

Result: .

Results will be updated here later today, and the rest of the New Year fixtures will feature events from Kempton Park on Wednesday nights as well as all the cards at Pontefract on the flat, and the bigger 2021 Festivals from Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and Galway amongst many others to enjoy. 

Whatever you do and whoever you are doing it with ... Have loads of fun this year and make it the best one ever.