New Year’s day at Cheltenham promises a new era for racing as Premier leads the charge in the hunt for the next Frankie Dettori

New Year's Day at Cheltenham heralds what many hope will be the start of a new dawn for a sport struggling on a range of crucial fronts.

But there is equal concern that the first of racing's new Premier fixtures will turn into another groundhog day of the sport, with the same old problems seemingly resistant to positive change.

In reality, racegoers at Cheltenham – and there should be a healthy crowd of more than 30,000 people – and ITV viewers will notice little difference, apart from a glimpse of a new logo. It's safe to say this is a soft launch.

But innovations are promised and Premier Racing is the big thing for horse racing in 2024. The aim is to repackage the best action the sport has to offer, make it easier to understand and recognizable in the post-Frankie Dettori era to create stars, especially among jockeys that the public can latch onto.

It is hoped that this two-year pilot project will not only stem the decline in footfall, betting turnover and the number of horses in training, but also attract new interest and followers through greater customer engagement.

Today's meeting is the first of 170 Premier Race days over the next twelve months. The sector-wide BHA initiative has increased prize money, with the Levy Board increasing its contribution by £3.2 million.

More than 90 percent of Premier Racedays are broadcast on ITV, with the majority on Saturday afternoons, during a two-hour period freed up to focus on the best of the action. That has led to some racecourses having to reschedule their meetings to start earlier or later, possibly to their own personal detriment, in the hope that the sport as a whole will benefit.

Cheltenham is owned by Jockey Club racecourses, whose CEO Nevin Truesdale said: 'Most sports would do well to elevate and differentiate their premium events and the introduction of Premier Racedays has the potential to help those who occasionally watching horse racing or being new to the race tracks. sport to recognize when they are watching something of higher quality. British racing is fortunate to have a lot of high quality racing to offer, even outside the major festivals that transcend the sport, and it is important to strengthen this.”

The structure of racing presents several challenges. Even for the uninitiated, when you see Mo Salah or Jack Grealish playing, you know it's top football. The same goes for Rory McIlroy in golf and Ben Stokes in cricket.

But a champion jockey like William Buick can still ride moderate horses at a modest meet. Race followers know this, but perhaps not regular followers. The new brand must be a guarantee of quality.

Success will convince the driving fan to race more and bet more. But you don't have to be a dyed-in-the-wool cynic to wonder how effective Premier Racing will be.

The reforms are also intended to provide a clear indication of the quality on display

Firstly, the budget set aside for promotion is woefully small, while the shortage of top quality horses to fill races is underlined with just 49 runners at Cheltenham this afternoon. There are only four in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle position and one of them is from Ireland.

In that context, it appears Premier Racing is putting the cart before the horse, especially for those who believe the only real solution is a drastic reduction in the number of competitions in the sport.

But for now, racing's leaders are united. Truesdale added: “As the BHA themselves have said, this will be a gradual evolution and not a sudden 'big bang'.”