IT is a lot, 28 races. Seven for every one of the four days, one for every day in February, if the Festival were run in February, and as long as it isn’t a leap year.

It is not that long ago that we only had three days and 18 races. Back then there was no JLT Chase, no Close Brothers Chase, to Mares’ Hurdle, no Ryanair Chase, and definitely no Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Anyone remember the Cathcart?

You can argue the case for each of the new races, the bumper was a great addition, at least it guaranteed that there would be one Irish winner anyway, back in the days when the Irish dominated the bumper and not much else. And the Ryanair Chase has been a success in lots of ways, it has evolved into a stand-alone race now, a coveted prize, without having the obvious prestige of a Gold Cup or a Champion Hurdle that only deep roots in history can create.

But if there wasn’t such a proliferation of races, there would be more clashes. Yorkhill would probably be taking on Altior in the Arkle or taking on the hurdlers in the Champion Hurdle If he was running in the Champion Hurdle, he would be taking on Buveur D’Air and Yanworth and Petit Mouchoir and Brain Power all right, but he would also probably be taking on Limini and Vroum Vroum Mag and maybe Apple’s Jade and Jer’s Girl as well.

Un De Sceaux could be getting ready to take on his stable companion Douvan in the Champion Chase, Uxizandre could be doing something similar, or either of them could have been stepping up in trip for the Gold Cup. Empire Of Dirt would probably be Gold Cup bound all right.

OTHER CLASHES

Let’s Dance could be all set for a clash with Neon Wolf and Finian’s Oscar in the Neptune Hurdle, (where she might be going anyway and) where she could also have been meeting Death Duty and Wholestone and West Approach. Airlie Beach would probably be all set to take on Melon and Ballyandy and Morewiththetimes in the Supreme, while Disko could be set for a clash with Might Bite and Alpha Des Obeaux and Whisper in the RSA Chase.

On the yearning side, these would have been clashes to savour. On the satiated side, we have lots of clashes to savour anyway. This is one of the most open Festivals in years. Douvan and Altior are really the only two horses who fall into the ‘gone by’ category this year. And ask any of their connections: even they are not ‘gone by’ yet.

And we have four days worth of them. Two days, half-time oranges, then two more days. That is also something to be savoured. We have got used to four days now.

Of course, there is no going back now. It will not return to three days unless they start to build a clutch of three-bed semi-detached houses in the Best Mate enclosure. There are very few genies that will return willingly to the bottle.

It is important that they leave it alone now though. Four days and a Friday finish. There is no need to find two more races, there is no need to add a veterans’ chase and a two-and-a-half-mile hurdle, move it to 30 races and make it five days of six races each and a Saturday Gold Cup. It’s great as it is.