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And they’re off! 50,000 Irish punters flock to Cheltenham
By Elaine Sheridan
 Cheltenham
fever strikes this week and the Irish have flocked in their thousands
to the annual race meeting.
For Irish race-goers, the Cheltenham National Hunt is a Mecca —the
highlight of the racing year.
An estimated 50,000 Irish descend annually on the Cotswolds for the four-day
race festival, which takes place from March 11-14.
Extra Ryanair flights were laid on from Birmingham, Bristol and East Midlands
airports to cope with the high demand.
And not surprisingly, costs for flights to each of the three airports
vary in price.
A Ryanair flight from Dublin to East Midlands Airport departing Tuesday,
March 11 and returning on the evening of March 14 costs €217.63.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Birmingham departing on Tuesday,
March 11 and returning on March 14 costs €478.
And a Ryanair flight from Derry to Bristol departing Tuesday, March 11
and returning on March 14 would set you back £108.46.
So exactly what is it about 25 races in the heart of Gloucestershire that
proves such a Celtic attraction?
One of the main reasons is Ireland’s strong reputation as a great
breeder of trainers, jockeys and horses.
And many of those winners past the post are ridden by English-based jockeys
who hail from across the Irish Sea.
Since the introduction of the fourth day in 2005, the gambling turnover
has been colossal.
Many punters say that the additional day has diluted the meeting, while
others maintain that it has made the expense of attending the festival
harder to justify.
Bookmakers William Hill anticipates that a mammoth £600million will
be staked on the outcome of the 25 races that make up this year’s
Cheltenham Festival.
And as gales and heavy storms battered the British countryside earlier
in the week organisers were forced to take extra precautions to ensure
spectators’ safety.
But whatever the weather, the spirit of the Irish won’t be dampened
in any way over the four-day festival.
For, of course, with the festival being held in the third week of March,
it means that the Irish are in fine form as they get in the mood for that
other great occasion — St. Patrick’s Day.
A costly punt in the Cotswolds
Among the thousands that make the trip across the Irish Sea every year
is 29-year-old Liam Flynn.
Liam has been attending the festival for the last 10 years and loves being
part of the racing set.
He says that each year the expense of the trip increases, meaning he has
to save more money all year round.
The site foreman from Waterford said: “I’ve been making the
annual trip since 1998 and haven’t missed a year.
“I follow the racing back home and Cheltenham is always the grand
finale of the racing year.
“The cost of getting here increases every year and I definitely
spend more and more money each year.”
Liam has come with three other friends this year and is staying in a private
house about four miles from the racecourse.
With the cost of flights and accommodation Liam reckons that already
they have forked out a whopping €800 for the trip — and that’s
without even placing a bet or buying a pint.
Opening the book on the festival
- £500million staked on festival races
- £7million from gate receipts
- £1.2million drawn from 20 cashpoints on site
- 240,000 bottles of beer and lager drank
- 230,000 people in attendance
- 225,000 pints of Guinness served
- 70,000 people attend Gold Cup Day
- 30,000 cars at Cheltenham
- 25,000 beef burgers and hotdogs eaten
- 20,000 champagne corks popped
- 650 helicopters land at the course
Figures from the 2007 Cheltenham Festival |
