Sports
‘We’ve got our Cheltenham back’: Rejoicing crowds give new-look festival seal of approval on opening day
The winter sun shone brightly, albeit briefly, for the start of the Cheltenham Festival, the highlight of the jump racing season.
More than 57,000 racegoers – from binocular-armed racing enthusiasts to city hipsters – congregated in this corner of the Cotswolds, sending opening day attendance up 3 per cent from last year.
The excitement of the smiling crowds entering Prestbury Park, many arriving after a testing six-hour journey from Ireland, was palpable, and as the first race set off – met, of course, by the rousing Cheltenham roar – there was consensus on the terraces that the festival was back to its best.
After the controversy of 2020, when huge crowds were blamed for spreading Covid, followed by price rises and squeezed-in crowds on Gold Cup day, there was a sense among some that the festival had lost its way.
But changes this year, including a 66,000 cap on attendance and a redesign in outdoor drinking areas, were warmly welcomed. Clouds above threatened but never released an expected downpour on proceedings.
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“Those lads going to Benidorm [people watching Cheltenham on television],” said Craig Jones. “Don’t tell them, but we’ve got our Cheltenham back.”
The 41-year-old quantity surveyor was standing inside the Guinness Village, where pints of the “black stuff”, along with beers and cider, were reduced this year by 30p to match 2022 prices.
Prosecco was also served for the first time, as an alternative to the £32 glasses of champagne on offer.
Also new this year, a huge tented area called “The Retreat” with a DJ, self-service bars and food outlets. Drinking restrictions were relaxed in the Club Enclosure, meaning punters didn’t have to rush pints to move in and out of the trackside area.
Mr Jones, who “voted with his feet” when he stopped coming to Cheltenham after 2023, said: “I didn’t like paying so much to get in when it was so busy. You’d be queuing for ages to get a drink, and when you had one you’d have to be careful not to get knocked over.
“It’s better now. There’s space, no queues, and just a really good atmosphere so far with a good dynamic of racing fans and people here for the day out.”
Tom Robinson, who arrived for the opening day with 20 others from Melksham in Wiltshire, agreed.
“It feels good this year,” the 38-year-old said. “We accept the money situation; it’s a highlight in the calendar and you save up money all year for it, so for me it’s a bit irrelevant – but the numbers this year are good. I’ve been here when it’s been way too busy, and it can take away from the experience, but it’s just right today.”
His brother Miles Robinson, 35, added: “The relaxation of restrictions on drinks make the festival more accessible, and there’s no rushing your drink and getting drunk just to get outside and watch a race.”
There was one queue inside the festival at lunchtime. It was for the burger outlet on the edge of the Guinness Village, where a Cheltenham Blue cost £13.95. Richard Price, 78, from Taunton, who went for a £11.45 burger, said: “I’ve been coming since 1981, and although much has changed, I remember it being so quiet and driving in with no traffic, the event is still a great experience for everyone.”
Behind the Guinness Village, where a band singer asked the crowd “are you drunk yet” at 1.45pm, a more relaxed atmosphere was contained within the Orchard area, where there were boutique shops, spa treatments and upmarket drinks on offer.
One of the new additions was English sparkling wine producer Chapel Down. The Kent-based vineyard has seen demand double in a decade, and with a presence at Ascot and Newbury races, Susie Goldsmith, head of PR, said Cheltenham was a “natural step” in the company’s offering within the sporting calendar.
Among those inside the tented bar was Bradley Larimore, managing director of Derby-based PMB Pallets, who bought a three litre bottle of Brut, priced at £290, for his business clients.
“I love coming here every year,” he said. “It’s a great occasion to network with businessmen and women, while also enjoying the atmosphere of the day. The money side of it doesn’t bother me, it’s all worth it.”
The official attendance for the opening day was 57,242, up from 55,498 last year, providing bosses with a boost on a week they expect around 250,000.
Among the youngest at the festival was six-month-old Logan, whose parents James Purchase and Abbie Watson watched a race from the outdoor screens within the venue. They praised its child-friendly facilities, including a spacious changing area and parking close to the entrance.
“Cheltenham is Cheltenham,” said Mr Purchase, 38. “It’s the event of the year for racing enthusiasts, but really it’s a place for everyone to come to enjoy.”
There was one downside to the opening day, with horse Hansard suffering a fatal injury during the Singer Arkle Trophy Novices’ Chase – however, it failed to spoil an enjoyable day for most.