The Cheltenham Gold Cup first came of age in 1924. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, and next week, when the festival begins, thousands of horse racing fanatics will once again descend on the town when it all kicks off on Tuesday.
With the excitement building ahead of the start of race week, we take a look at five reasons which make the event so special below…
The Irish travel in their thousands and LOVE the occasion…
They certainly do. Nobody quite likes the races as much as the Irish, who will travel in their thousands to Cheltenham. They will ram the streets and drink Guinness to the early hours of the morning, but most importantly of all, they will create a quite simply stunning atmosphere for the time they’ll spend in the town.
After all, nobody has fun like the Irish, especially when they win on a horse and there is no doubt that they will once again gamble thousands of pounds of their hard-earned cash next week. There is a real buzz when the Irish are in town, no matter where they go.
The GLAMOUR and the FAME…
When the races begin next week, there will be various different celebrities who will visit on different days. The festival is known for all its glamour and fame, after all. Especially when it comes to ladies day, which is always a monumental day every year at the Gold Cup.
There is an extravagant feel about ladies day at Cheltenham, which will see some tremendous flamboyant hats on show, and it is just one of the many reasons which make the festival such a goldmine for racing fans travelling to the festival.
The atmosphere at the races is quite simply spine tingling…
There isn’t an atmosphere quite like the races, particularly when thousands of punters are cheering on their horse to victory. The thumping of the horses galloping around the track only add to the suspense and when they jump over that final fence, the atmosphere goes up a notch as all of the horses glide over the finish line.
A beautiful morning here today!
The Going is currently SOFT, GOOD TO SOFT IN PLACES. #TheFestival #IllBeThere pic.twitter.com/TuNG4sBwL2
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 7, 2018
On Gold Cup day, the feeling across the racecourse is incredible as they all get set for the big finale to bring a close to the festival. Over the course of the four days, there is a friendly feel about the place which really stands out. It also gives people an incentive to come back year after year to enjoy the special atmosphere which is created by the thousands of people who attend the meeting.
Outsiders winning the Gold Cup on big odds…
To win big at the races is always a good feeling, and there have been some big shocks over the years at the racecourse. The most notable winner was when 100/1 outsider Norton’s Coin won the Gold Cup – if another big outsider wins the main race this year, there will surely be some big money floating around at this year’s festival.
There is always a chance an outsider can win at big odds and that is the joy of horse racing. It enhances the excitement of the sport due to its unpredictability. At the end of the day, it is who performs on the day which counts the most.
Pubs, and there are a lot them…
When people come to the festival, they enjoy a drink more often than not. They’re in luck, because in Cheltenham, there are a wide range of options to choose from. At night, the town which is normally relatively quiet explodes into life.
The pubs in Cheltenham are a great attraction for horse racing fans. In race week, there will be a vibrancy in all of the pubs which are located near the racecourse, and there is absolutely no doubt that they will benefit from the punters’ enjoyment.
