Cheltenham Expects 200,000 For Festival

Despite the economic downturn, over 200,000 people are expected to attend the 2009 Cheltenham  Festival over the next four days of the National Hunt season’s flagship meeting.

In addition to the thousands flooding through the gates, over £300m is expected to be wagered on the outcome of the week’s 26 races.

On the course, jockeys, trainers and owners will be chasing a record £3.56m in prize money.

Organisers have reported slower than normal ticket sales with corporate packages also down while the number of Irish racegoers travelling over is also expected to be down.

‘We’re definitely getting fewer bookings and for a shorter period although we’re not getting any distress signals from hotels or the bed and breakfast sector, which all feels as strong as ever,’ said Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie.

The showpiece of the week will be Friday’s Gold Cup as defending champion Denman faces an eagerly awaited re-match with stablemate Kauto Star.