Festival Period is upon us
The month of March will always be an important month for so many Irish people all over the world. St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th, but days before, thousands celebrate the sporting festival, that is, the Cheltenham Racing Festival. It’s the greatest show in the sport, and some even argue that Cheltenham is the greatest show on Turf. A fantastic display of top-class horse racing spread out over four jam-packed days- a punter’s dream!
Thousands are expected to travel in their numbers
When a person thinks of Cheltenham, the majority would think of a small town in England, but in fact it’s much more than that. Racing at Cheltenham is not like the usual race fixture, it`s in many people`s DNA. Often, there are large groups of people who make it their own by booking the week off work just so they can enjoy the Cheltenham spectacle. The second week in March has been penciled in to so many people’s calendars, but it brings so much more to the town of Cheltenham. Hotels and pubs in the locality will be booked out for a long time in advance, and that’s if you can find yourself a bargain, which is next to impossible in the current climate. The local economy rakes in a very successful spell of business during the famous week with thousands of punters flocking to the nearby areas of Cheltenham while bars, restaurants, hotels and local businesses benefit to a large degree.
On the flip side, in recent years, many lovers of the racing festival have been jetting off to various locations in Spain. Beautiful weather, cheap beer, good atmosphere, large screens- what’s not to like? Places such as Lanzarote and Benidorm are becoming more popular, especially for Brits who feel attending the festival has become too expensive. Tickets into the festival are costing approximately £100 while accommodation could set you back £300 each night while parking costs are certainly not cheap either. It has been reported that it could cost people £2000 to attend the whole festival and that doesn’t take in the costs of having a bet or even having a drink. The price of food and drink at the festival is certainly nothing to laugh at either, with a pint of the famous black stuff setting you back £7.50, which when converted comes in at a whopping €8.90
In terms of racing, the Irish have been dominating over their British counterparts for the past few years. Looking ahead to this year, it’s expected that will remain the same with Carlow trainer, Willie Mullins leading the way for the Irish with his tremendous arsenal of horses. The respected trainer will be looking to kick off the 2025 festival in style, as he has favourites, Kopek Des Bordes and Majborough out on day one. No doubt, Mullins will have a few winners, with his best chance going off in the big race (Gold Cup) on the Friday, that is Galopin Des Champs, who is looking to win his third Gold Cup which will no doubt be an amazing achievement.
A Familar sight: the colous of famous Racehorse owner, JP Mc Manus.
In terms of a Cheltenham multiple bet, I fancy these three horses to win, which the treble comes in at odds of 5/1
Tuesday: 2.00 Majborough, 4.00 Constitution Hill, Wednesday: 1.20 The New Lion
Enjoy the racing and always remember to gamble responsibly.
