Steve Mellish on Racing TV last Sunday

Last year, we put up with owners saying she couldn’t run, because she was a five-year-old. They were given a pass on that. The real culprits here are Cheltenham, the second it went four days, they watered down the Festival and this is prime example. If you give easier options, you can’t really blame connections for taking them. Don’t give them the choice. If we didn’t have a Ryanair – Fact To File in the Gold Cup, Il Est Francais and Gaelic Warrior in the Champion Chase. It’s Cheltenham’s fault, they did it for money. Eventually, people will get fed up being presented with odds-on favourite after odds-on favourite in watered down races.