It may seem early to be previewing a spring athletic event, but for a lot of horse racing fans the 2014 season has essentially concluded. Attention now starts to turn toward the first major competitions of 2015, and for those in the UK that means the Cheltenham Festival is already being marked on calendars. Taking place annually in early to mid-March, this festival is one of the first major horse racing events and celebrations each year. And if you’re keen on adding it to your live sports must-attend list in 2015, here are five things to do and see at Cheltenham.
Plan Your Style
It will come as no surprise to avid horse racing fans, but spectator style plays a big role at the Cheltenham Festival. While Ladies Day (the second day of the four-day festival) gets the most attention for cultivating a specific focus on fashion, racegoers enjoy demonstrating fun, stylish looks throughout the event. Generally speaking, horse race fashion tends to be tastefully gaudy, with bold accessories, vintage attire, and unorthodox individual touches standing out, though never to the extent of tackiness. For inspiration, take a look at Daily Mail’s recap of Ladies Day in 2014 (though keep in mind that men also shoot for unique style at Cheltenham).
Come To Party
Particularly on St. Patrick’s Thursday, the Cheltenham Festival is not just a horse racing and fashion event—it’s a party! No specific preparation is necessary, but it’s good to arrive at the festival ready to socialize and enjoy some great food and drink, rather than just sit still and watch the races. Racegoers will indulge and let loose to some extent on every day of the festival, but for St. Patrick’s Day everything is a little more fun and casual.
The grounds even contain an area called the Guinness Village, which is a hub for those betting on the competition, but also a representation of one of the alcohol vendors that serves so generously to fans for four days. According to CheltenhamFestival.net, it was estimated in 2012 that 220,000 pints are served to racegoers on each day of the festival.
Try Your Luck
Sports betting isn’t for everybody, but with horse racing, it’s almost part of the experience. Just be careful with your research and bet responsibly—you may find that you enjoy Cheltenham that much more. Our previous post on horse racing in Australia actually offers a fairly comprehensive introduction to what factors you should consider when you’re betting on a horse race, but keep in mind that no amount of research, knowledge, or intuition constitutes a sure thing.
At the tail end of last year’s Cheltenham Festival, Betbright.com even acknowledged that they’d had a “bit of a disaster” in offering betting tips, and that’s coming from a website designed entirely to offer odds and information on sports betting. It truly is always a risk, but wagering on a race—particularly in an environment like the Cheltenham Festival, or the aforementioned Guinness Village betting hub—can be a whole lot of fun.
Study The History
This is by no means absolutely necessary, but it is an interesting way to enrich the Cheltenham experience. At any established major racing event, there will be plenty of history, including past winners, successful trainers and owners, particularly memorable races, etc. Cheltenham’s website offers a general overview of the track and competition history. However, you’ll benefit most by simply researching the past few years of the race so that you can recognize horses who have raced there before and understand the affections and opinions of the crowd around you. This may not be necessary for avid horse racing fans, but for many it’s an easy way to get more out of the experience.
Attend The Signature Races
Finally there’s the most logical, but also most important tip: try to attend the signature races. Like some other similar racing weeks and weekends, each day at Cheltenham is marked by a headline competition. In this case, day one offers the Champion Hurdle, day two the Champion Chase, day three the World Hurdle, and day four the Gold Cup, which is the de facto title of the entire festival. Now, there are plenty of less prestigious but very exciting races in between these four, but to get the most out of your Cheltenham experience you’ll want to be present for the headline contests.