 The Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham. A word that sends a tingle down the spine of every sports
fan. Cheltenham is the Mecca for racing enthusiasts, a sure sign also
that Spring is on the way, as thoughts turn to the Festival, the
pinnacle of the Jump racing season, at Cheltenham each March
This year, racing’s most important and popular meeting extends to four
days. The big question for many is, “How will I stand the pace?” The
eclectic mix of people, the tremendous buzz of the big race crowd, the
enormous sums wagered, the all-day and all-night revelry that leaves
many with livers that take months to recover.
But let us not forget, Cheltenham is essentially about the horses. Over
350 horses will compete in the Festival’s 24 races, competing for their
share of the £2.5m in prize money, headed up by the £350,000 totesport
Cheltenham Gold Cup.
 Best Mate, winner in
2004 for the third time, wrote his little piece of history, whilst Hardy
Eustace plundered the Smurfit Champion Hurdle on the opening day for
Ireland on a day the Irish could legitimately call their own, even with
St Patrick’s Day a couple of days later. Two of the six races are
sponsored by Irish companies, and Ireland’s leading newspaper, the Irish
Independent, hoists its flag in the quintessentially English spa town of
Cheltenham. For a week in March, Cheltenham gives way to the Irish, and
the tricolour outnumbers the Union Jack by some distance.
 The Festival is
Gloucestershire’s largest sporting occasion, with over 200,000
spectators from all over the UK, Ireland and Western Europe, rought
together by top quality racing and unmatched surroundings, and delivered
by the ambiance of the setting, and the hospitality of those living in
the county. Timed on the cusp of spring, it can show off Cheltenham at
its very best.
But the Festival is not the only event in Cheltenham. Far from it. The
racing season begins at the end of the autumn, in October, moving
swiftly into the open, featuring the Paddy Power Gold Cup, yet another
top weekend with more than a sniff of Celtic flavour. The prospect of a
racing weekend and a chance to get back to the winter game after a
summer of watching those sleek equine machines on the Flat, owned by
remote oil magnates or Saudi princes, combined with the treat of some
Christmas shopping for the wife at some of the meeting’s 70 shops, is a
powerful combination.
 This mix of ambiance
and energy is repeated through December and January till the close of
play in late April, when the amateur riders get their chance to ride
round those big fences at the evening meeting.
At Cheltenham, there’s something for everyone. For customers of almost
every pocket, Cheltenham delivers, whether it be a day out in the Best
Mate Enclosure, a stag do or hen night in a grandstand box, a share in a
horse for a year in our racing club or a sales promotion through a
sponsored race. In fact, Cheltenham has an offer for everyone wishing to
enjoy their racing.
After the horses, the most vital ingredient is the crowd. Quite simply
there is no other place which matches their passion, emotion or
celebration. So start planning now for the total Cheltenham experience.”
General Enquries
Telephone 01242 513014
E-mail: cheltenham@rht.net
Ticket Sales
Telephone 01242 226226
E-mail: cheltenham@rht.net
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