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10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

Are you desperately ill-informed when it comes to horse racing’s big event? Relax, here’s our guide to some of the competition’s less well-known facts.

12/03/12 3,086 Views No Comments

10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham
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  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    Somewhere in the region of 250,000 spectators will come through the gates of Prestbury Park over the course of the four days.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    Entry tickets can cost as little as £20 for the cheap seats or as much as £70 for a prime grandstand spot. The festival normally brings in about £7m in gate receipts.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    It’s hard to know how exactly how many Irish punters make the annual pilgrimage, but official stats suggest that it’s about 10,000. That sound you can hear is Ryanair bosses smacking their lips together in delight.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    Of course, not everybody has to resort to Mr. O’Leary’s no-frills transportation. An estimated 650 private helicopters will land at the course over the four days. Lah dee dah.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    Over 250 bookmakers will pitch their stalls in the betting ring during the festival. Last year, over £600m was wagered on the outcome of Cheltenham races, with at least £1m placed on-course ahead of each race.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn't know about Cheltenham

    With so much cash being bandied about, a solid network of ATMs is essential. Over £1m will be withdrawn from the 20 cash machines on site over the four days

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    All that gambling would make one a bit peckish, naturally. So, it’s no surprise that racegoers work their way through three tonnes of smoked salmon annually. Oh, and two tonnes of fillet and sirloin of beef, nine tonnes of potatoes, 25,000 burgers and hot dogs, and 20,000 portions of chips.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    With so many Irish punters present, it would be a bit remiss of festival organisers not to serve the black stuff. To their credit, they’ve gone one better and established a Guinness Village, which will sell almost 250,000 pints of creamy goodness before the gates shut on Friday afternoon.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    When all’s said and done though, everybody is there for the racing. By the time the festival closes, there’ll be over four million hoofprints on the Prestbury Park racetrack. That’s a lot of turf to be repaired.

  • Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Cheltenham

    The festival’s showpiece is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the feature race on Friday’s card. Every year a brand new trophy is made from ten ounces of gold, costing approximately £9,000 at current prices
  • Somewhere in the region of 250,000 spectators will come through the gates of Prestbury Park over the course of the four days.
  • Entry tickets can cost as little as £20 for the cheap seats or as much as £70 for a prime grandstand spot. The festival normally brings in about £7m in gate receipts.
  • It’s hard to know how exactly how many Irish punters make the annual pilgrimage, but official stats suggest that it’s about 10,000. That sound you can hear is Ryanair bosses smacking their lips together in delight.
  • Of course, not everybody has to resort to Mr. O’Leary’s no-frills transportation. An estimated 650 private helicopters will land at the course over the four days. Lah dee dah.
  • Over 250 bookmakers will pitch their stalls in the betting ring during the festival. Last year, over £600m was wagered on the outcome of Cheltenham races, with at least £1m placed on-course ahead of each race.
  • With so much cash being bandied about, a solid network of ATMs is essential. Over £1m will be withdrawn from the 20 cash machines on site over the four days
  • All that gambling would make one a bit peckish, naturally. So, it’s no surprise that racegoers work their way through three tonnes of smoked salmon annually. Oh, and two tonnes of fillet and sirloin of beef, nine tonnes of potatoes, 25,000 burgers and hot dogs, and 20,000 portions of chips.
  • With so many Irish punters present, it would be a bit remiss of festival organisers not to serve the black stuff. To their credit, they’ve gone one better and established a Guinness Village, which will sell almost 250,000 pints of creamy goodness before the gates shut on Friday afternoon.
  • When all’s said and done though, everybody is there for the racing. By the time the festival closes, there’ll be over four million hoofprints on the Prestbury Park racetrack. That’s a lot of turf to be repaired.
  • The festival’s showpiece is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the feature race on Friday’s card. Every year a brand new trophy is made from ten ounces of gold, costing approximately £9,000 at current prices

Read: Nice work: Wiggins holds on to seal Paris-Nice win>

Read: Peter Casey wins, won’t be having ‘f**king sex’ tonight>

About the author:

Niall Kelly
@niallkelly
niall@thescore.ie

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