All ages, all backgrounds, from city slickers to royals – they packed Cheltenham racecourse for the festival’s climatic end on Gold Cup day, and were rewarded with a thrilling atmosphere and competitive races.
On another year when the decline in attendances has been the focus, Friday’s event was sold out, as it usually is, and the sun even poked out over the famous Prestbury Park racetrack.
Difficulties well publicised last year – such as the mudbath that faced motorists leaving – were avoided, and punters came away from the four-day festival with a smile on their faces – even those whose bets hadn’t quite gone to plan.
“It’s been a festival in its truest sense,” said Cheltenham chief executive Guy Lavender, the ex-army serviceman who took over the reins at the racecourse in January.
Mr Lavender, faced with declining crowds, has overseen a raft of changes including more competitive racing, relaxed drinking restrictions course-side and the introduction of hardstanding on the 7,000-vehicle car park.
He’s also wanted better value for money, and has pledged to continue to look into this for next year with the inflated cost of hotels on his radar.
“It was a difficult festival last year, everyone acknowledged it and we’ve made a number of improvements,” Mr Lavender said on BBC Five Live on Friday afternoon.
“We’re really smashing it out of the park so far this year.
“They [punters] come here and they have a great time even if they are not hardcore racing fans. It’s vibrant and an iconic sporting event.”
The biggest decline in attendance from last year was on Style Wednesday, which saw a little under 42,000 turning out, down 5,000 from a year ago.
And on Tuesday, otherwise known as Champion Day, there was a decrease in attendance from 60,200 to 55,500.
However, on St Patrick’s Day, the attendance was just over 53,300, just a few hundred short of last year. And on Friday, the event was sold out.
Among those in attendance was Reform leader Nigel Farage and suspended party MP Rupert Lowe, who is being investigated for allegations of bullying and threats of violence, all of which Mr Lowe denies.
The pair were in boxes around 400 metres apart.
Other famous names included former prime minister David Cameron and Geri Halliwell-Horner.
“This is the holy grail of horse racing,” said Steve, aged 67. The pensioner is a member of the Cheltenham racecourse and has been coming for 46 years.
“I remember when there was just one stand,” he said. “It’s certainly evolved over the years, and they’re doing the right things to draw interest with entertainment and the facilities.”
Simon Wild and Rob Bulger travelled from Manchester to see the four days of the festival, staying in nearby Stroud to save paying “more than £500 a night”.
“It’s the best horse racing with the best atmosphere,” said Mr Wild, aged 42. “The drinks are a bit pricey [£7.80 a pint of Guinness], but it’s what you expect, it’s the same at football.
“It’s one of those ‘have to be there’ events of the year, and we’ll be back next year.”
First-timers Anne and Bob Clark swapped buying Christmas presents for buying Cheltenham Festival tickets for the Gold Cup. Paying £259, they bought a coach travel package from Inverness that included a two-night hotel stay and tickets for the Friday event.
“I usually buy a jumper he doesn’t wear, so this was the best present we’ve given each other in a while,” said Mrs Clark, aged 75.
“It’s been an incredible day out. I’ll never forget the great opening roar, it was deafening. And we’ve won two bets,” said Mr Clark, 76.
But not everyone got so lucky on their bets. The day started with shock 100/1 outsider, Poniros, winning, with only a handful of punters collecting winnings.
Bookie Graham Thorpe took £2,500 from just the race. “As a bookie you want a shock, and to get that in a champion race with the favourite so well backed, it was a winner for us.”
Mr Thorpe, however, did pay out for one woman who took home £1,000 off a £10 bet.
For the main event, the 4pm Gold Cup, it was another non-favourite that won, marking a further boost for bookmakers amid groans among the crowds in the course-facing enclosures.
Following the final race at 5.20pm, the temperature suddenly dropped as the thousands of racegoers made their way to the exit gates, many heading to pubs and bars in town centre.
No doubt, many will return to this edge of the Cotswolds in a little under 12 months’ time.
