Cheltenham Experiences

K

kevk

At the Start
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
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32
Location
Ireland
I am travelling over to my first ever Cheltenham Festival in a few weeks and i am obviously looking forward to it..

I would be grateful if people would give their time and tell me of their experiences whether it be good or bad, their highs and lows what the nightlife is like over there, the craic etc etc...
 
Well..... the first time I attended the Festival I could not afford expensive tickets so I was in the cheap seats, before the Best Mate enclosure existed.

I only went for one day. During the first race a drunk fellow in the enclosure I was in lost the race (We had the first and second home!) and in his tantrum he accidently threw a whole pint of beer all over me, and anyone else standing near enough to him. He was pretty upset about wasting his drink and not surprisingly we were too. So I spent all day stinking like an alcoholic.

But I took in the scenery and got very close the the 4 and 2 legged heroes. The atmosphere is amazing and even though it is VERY crowded there are few problems and you can feel the buzz. The reception the winners, and the losers get is unlike anywhere else.

By the end of the day it mattered not that I smelled like cheap beer. We spent ages going over the form and won most of the races and had the 1-2-3 home in the major race of the day in a trifecta. Went home richer than when we started and threw the clothes away instead of washing them.

And after that? Have been back every year since, and go every day.

I have always had real trouble finding anywhere to eat after the day racing as all are full full full. Maybe someone else can comment on here? We usually drive some way off to carry on the party.

Now and again you even get invited back to a party at the yards if you watch the horses being loaded after the races!
 
Unless you have a corporate invite it can be seriously uncomfortable. Buy Club tickets - they are worth £70 as a once off. It is very crowded and slightly overrated. Leopardstown at Christmas, Punchestown, the Arc Meeting are all more enjoyable, if a little less spiritual.
 
dont need to emphasise how good the racing is going to be! but for evenign entertainment, try the montpellier wine bar. I had the best steak there ive ever eaten in my life, and ive eaten plenty!

i got dragged into the fez club, and couldnt beleive how scantily clad the women were dressed. i soon realised wjat type i was in when she asked if i qanted to go behind the curtain with her, when i said yes please she said "that will be £20".
 
A night out in the 21 Club is always good for a laugh.

Cheltenham also plays host to the worst Indian restaurant in these Isles but I forget its name.
 
"Cheltenham also plays host to the worst Indian restaurant in these Isles but I forget its name."

Are you sure, Shads, there would be a hell of a lot of competition for that title.
 
Originally posted by Shadow Leader@Feb 26 2008, 07:37 PM
A night out in the 21 Club is always good for a laugh.

Cheltenham also plays host to the worst Indian restaurant in these Isles but I forget its name.
Click to expand...
Would that be Hassans.
 
My first trip over was in 2004, one of the most memorable trips during my 22 years. Stayed in Leckhampton, so we weren't too far from the course. Will never forget that feeling when seeing the wide open expanses of Prestbury Park. Each part of the trip lived up to, and exceeded, expectations.

Had Club enclosure tickets and are the best option, finances permitting. The opening roar was phenomenal.
 
I first went in Alverton's Gold Cup year and could bore everyone to death with stories of various escapades and that's only the one's I can remember or that wouldn't leave me open to blackmail. So I'll pick a nice, wholesome story and leave it at that.

In 1999 with the usual motley group of friends I went down on the Monday evening for the week aiming for a relatively early night to conserve energy for what was to come. At around 6.00 am I went to bed having enjoyed the swapping of tall tales and the names the certain winners of every coming race with a group of knowledgeble, pleasantly patriotic and positively pissed Irishmen.
The following night I returned to the hotel at around 2.00am and was lifted onto the shoulders of the same group as they had backed my recommendation in the only race in which they did not fancy an Irish horse. I did not have to buy a drink for the remaining four hours before being carried to bed. I had failed miserably in my attempts to persuade them to cover their Alexander Banquet bets by backing Barton and had indeed had a bet of an even £200 with the most knowledgeable, but least sensible, member of their group that Barton would win.
Don't remember too much of the next day as Barton won (had 8's) then Call Equiname(25's to a decent bet) followed up. I recall dancing on the table in the box singing an adulterated version of James Taylor's you've got a friend then nowt until being in a restaurant many hours later try to eat and thus absorb some of the drink I had consumed- to make room for more! Up comes misguided Irishman, thanking all the saints and deities, and plonks £200 on the table.
He had been due to fly home with his friends but had instead spent the night up to then scouring the bars and restaurants of Montpelier, we had recommended them,
in order to settle his debt. He didn't know my name or room so had set out on a mission.
Bloody good bloke and good company for the rest of the night and if I recall correctly pretty appreciative when we persuaded one of the less facially challenged ladies we met to give him comfort and shelter until he could return home next day. Great Craic.

Never saw him again but met some of his friends several times in ensuing years.
 
I first went in 2003, when my mum offered to take me anywhere for my 18th birthday, way back in September 02. I think she hoped I'd say a shopping weekend in Paris, but Cheltenham it was!! I'll always remember my first glimpse of Cleeve Hill, with the sun shining on it, it was like Wow!!
Have been to every Festival since, with the exception of Champion Hurdle day 04 and will keep going as long as I can!! As Highchapp says, the roar is unbelievable. Club tickets are definatly the best. Allow you on the gallops in the morning and saw an Irish horse being blessed by a priest on Champion Hurdle day last year. Never seen that before!! I think it was Brave Inca or Hardy Eustace but was too shy to ask!
The atmosphere is exceptional, friendly people, even the drunks are friendly. Fantastic horses, great races, quite simply out of this world!!
I remember one year, meeting a guy who thought I should still be in school!! He was insistent that I do my homework before going racing! LOL!! Oh to be young again.
I can't wait for it this year, like kid at Christmas.
Enjoy it all!!!!
 
Cheltenham 2004 was special.

I had dreamt of having a horse good enough to compete at Cheltenham and it means everything to a lot of Irish racing enthusiasts. With our owners badge I was able to walk the course on Monday afternoon (even gave an interview on the track - reporter still remembers me!), watch Inca enjoy a pick of grass in front of the stands before settling the nerves in the Plough that night.

Tuesday morning, up at the crack of dawn to get to the gallops, check on our star (he wasn't blessed, must have been Hardy), soak up the atmosphere before racing and the roar as the tapes went up. The rest is history but the feeling from the home turn when only the boss and War of Attrition. And all the way up the run-in. Neck and neck. My whole family jumping up and down, urging him on. Photo finish, was he up, who was looking at the screen, was he up, who won, come on someone must know!! Rush down to the winners enclosure, results out, go on ya little daisy. Fight the maul into the winners enclosure. Come on............!!

Dreams sometimes come true. No matter what happened after that, we had our Cheltenham winner.
 
Yes but Cantoris is a lazy bugger Gal. He reckons he was down the racecourse early the last twice when Inca was 3rd and won his Champion Hurdle. The fact that he wandered into the Plough in Prestbury both mornings of the race at about midday suggests he was more likely in bed given that the house is just round the corner! I won't even tell you what time he made it on course on Champion Chase day! How anyone can be so calm and relaxed when his horse is at the head of the market for a Champion Hurdle is beyond me!

I can tell you though the next best thing to having a Cheltenham runner is having a mate who's horse runs and wins a Champion Hurdle and just having a sense of the high and euphoria he and his family were feeling. And what's more Cantoris and his family are the sort who genuinely deserve it. A top bloke who deserves every moment of the success that Inca has brought him.

Cheltenham memories for me are as much about people as they are about the racing, and I have the great fortune to spend my Cheltenham Festival's with a fantastic crowd. The racing is the best and the company is just as good. Simply the best four days in the any calender year.

Yes it's busy, yes there are queues, yes you'll be tired, but every single moment is worth it. What you are witnessing first hand is something that will turn into very special memories. The buzz, the noise, the colour and the craic are something you simply won't replicate at another racecourse or any other sporting event.
 
I must admit standing in the parade ring and hearing the reception after Kauto won last years Gold Cup was something pretty special.
 
Crikey Cantoris - you own Brave Inca??????? Good piece indeed. Thanks for sharing.

Will you sign my racecard?

Inca is a gorgeous looking horse.
 
He does his signings at The Plough in Prestbury from 11am during the Festival Isinglass unless he's in one of his luvvie moods. :D

In all seriousness, there is a good crowd of us meet there before and after racing and it is very much a racing pub. A good few trainers and owners will be in after racing and the jocks normally make the effort at least one evening of the Festival.

Funniest ever was when they were in after Gerraghty unseated from Moscow Flyer. The other jocks were merciless, it was absolutely hilarious!

If anyone fancies it let me know. It's just on the back straight of the racecourse and a gentle walk in and back again. You miss all the traffic and chaos, and specifically if you are in the car you have no car park queues and get away with no problems. Well worth it and I highly recommend it as part of the Festival routine.
 
Where is that in realation to the Prestbury Arms Maruco? I've usually gone in there after and sometimes before racing, good craic in there too tho I've never tried it [or anywhere else!] during the festival
 
Yeah we have been very lucky indeed.

The two next best moments for me were Fota Island and Total enjoyment. We had watched Fota all year and waiting for the ground to firm up. Thought it would be Fairyhouse or Punchestown so you can imagine my delight to get 8s at Cheltenham!! The craic in the parade ring after Total Enjoyment was mighty. Must have been about a hundred people in the winners enclosure. And she stood there while they sang the Rose of Tralee, not a bother out of her. Great stuff.
 
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