Far fewer teams than the Gold Cup but people want to call it a failure? I think not. It has always been regarded as less important than the Gold Cup this is nothing new. The Vestey’s in their pomp as Stowell Park used to play it under an alias (Foxcote) and use it to get the ponies fit ,a bit like the Open Teams in Argentina still use Tortugas and Hurlingham. They however do have their traditions and place in the order of things as does the Queens Cup. They have the pomp and ceremony, location, the Queen and many other things beside. What they do not have are the grounds. This however could be fixed in the next year or two and their reliance on private grounds could be reduced to a position where it becomes an option as opposed to a necessity. Whichever way you look at it the “visiting team” on a private ground always feels at a disadvantage, whether they are or not.