The month of March is an important one for Cheltenham as it’s when the town hosts the world-famous Cheltenham Festival, a four-day horse racing event. People flock from all over the world to this event, which has an interesting history and lots of fascinating facts. Here are just five amazing snippets about the Cheltenham Races.
Race for the train
The sudden influx of racing fans to Cheltenham means a busy time for the town’s rail station, which can expect 135,000 or more extra travellers over the festival period.
This year, racegoers can travel directly to Cheltenham’s Prestbury Park, just next to the racecourse, by steam trains operated by Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.
The Gold Cup cuppa
Festival visitors drink an estimated (and very refreshing) 8,000 gallons of tea and coffee over the four days. The gates open at 10.30am each day and a busy bout of spectating needs a pick-me-up or two.
On a stronger note, visitors down more than 250,000 pints of Guinness over the course of the event. The Cheltenham races are very popular with Irish race fans, who make up around a quarter of the crowds, so this is no surprise.
Quids in for Cheltenham
The Cheltenham Festival is a serious money spinner for the town as the event brings in more than £100 million for the local authority’s coffers. Around £20 million is from the sale of race tickets, while the rest comes from people dining in restaurants and visiting pubs. Hotels in Cheltenham get booked up months in advance and any rooms left nearer the time rocket in price.
A sizeable purse
In 2019, the prize money at the Cheltenham Festival topped more than £1 million per day for the first time. The overall purse for the four days totalled more than £4.5 million, which was the largest of any jumps festival in the world.
Cheltenham’s champion trainer
Irish legend Willie Mullins has trained more Cheltenham winners than anyone, with a total of 78 winners by 2021. Allaho’s Ryanair Chase and Appreciate It are among Mullins’ best-known winners in recent years.
