Cheltenham is back! Crowds return to race festival for first time since start of Covid pandemic

Cheltenham is back! Crowds return to race festival for first time since start of pandemic when it was accused of being a Covid ‘super-spreader’ as Britain basks in 60F blast today

Up to 250,000 horse racing fans set to descend on Gloucestershire this week for the famous four-day eventIt was last held in front of fans in March 2020 – prior to lockdown – and was accused of being ‘super-spreader’At the time Italy was already in lockdown, while mass gatherings were banned in England three days laterThis event is to be blessed with good weather, with sun for three of four days, but with rain on Wednesday

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Crowds have eagerly returned to Cheltenham for the first time in two years, with hundreds of thousands of roaring fans set to bring the festival back to its pre-Covid best.

As many as 250,000 horse racing enthusiasts are set to descend on the Gloucestershire course across this weekend for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic.

The famous festival was one of the last major sporting events to be held with spectators before the Covid lockdown in March 2020. 

And it was accused of being a super-spreader for Covid, with a number of famous faces including Camilla’s ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, comedian Lee Mack and footballer Charlie Austin among those to catch the virus at the festival two years ago.

With the country under tight Covid restrictions, last year’s event was held behind closed doors. And so there has been much anticipation for this year’s four-day festival – the first to be held in front of fans in two years.

To add to the excitement, fans are set to bask in above-March-average temperatures 60F (15C) today.

And while rain is expected to fall on Wednesday, fans are set to enjoy a sunny final two days of the festival, including on Friday for its famous Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

Slide me

Eager crowds have returned to Cheltenham for the first time in two years, with hundreds of thousands roaring fans set to bring the festival back to its pre-Covid best (pictured left: 2020). The famous festival was one of the last was one of the last major sporting events to be held with spectators before the Covid lockdown in March 2020 (pictured right)

As many as 250,000 horse racing fans are set to descend on the Gloucestershire course across this weekend for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic

Spectators arrive for day one of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. The four day event is taking place in Gloucestershire this week

Racegoers await entry ahead of day one of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. As many as 250,000 people are expected to attend across the four days

To add to the excitement, fans are set to bask in above-March-average temperatures 60F (15C) today. And while rain is expected to fall on Wednesday, fans are set to enjoy a sunny final two days of the festival, including on Friday for its famous Cheltenham Gold Cup

Racegoers in purple hats arrive ahead of day one of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Held at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, the event regularly welcomes more than 250,000 people each year. It features a series of ‘Championship’ races, which decide who are the best horses of the year

What is the weather forecast for Cheltenham? 

Tuesday

Overcast with sunny spells – highs of 60F (15C)

Wednesday

Heavy rain and a gentle breeze – highs of 50F (10C)

Thursday

Sunny spells – highs of 55F (13C)

Friday

Sunny spells – highs of 57F (14C)

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The festival was first run in 1860 and has grown to become the biggest four days of the jumps season.

Held at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, the event regularly welcomes more than 250,000 people each year. 

It features a series of ‘Championship’ races, which decide who are the best horses of the year.

The main races are the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Champion Chase on Wednesday, Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday. 

Despite rising Covid cases in March 2020, and calls to cancel the festival, the event was given to the green-light to go-ahead.

It was the last major-sporting event to be allowed to take place prior to the Covid lockdown, which was brought in 10 days later. At the time Italy was already in lockdown, while mass gatherings were banned in England three days later.

More than 60,000 fans a day were packed into the stands, bars, toilets and queues for the food vans with little protection apart from some hand sanitiser stations dotted around the racetrack. 

The Jockey Club, organisers of the event, said the festival ‘went ahead under Government guidance’.

The main races are the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Champion Chase on Wednesday, Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday

As many as 250,000 horse racing fans are set to descend on the Gloucestershire course across this weekend for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic

To add to the excitement, fans are set to bask in above-March-average temperatures 60F (15C) today. And while rain is expected to fall on Wednesday, fans are set to enjoy a sunny final two days of the festival, including on Friday for its famous Cheltenham Gold Cup

The March 2020 event was accused of being a super-spreader for Covid, with a number of famous faces including Camilla’s ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles (pictured left), comedian Lee Mack (pictured right) and footballer Charlie Austin among those to catch the virus at the festival two years ago

But the festival came in for criticism, including from Sir David King, the government’s chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007, who said it was ‘the best possible way to accelerate the spread of the virus’. 

Jeremy Hunt, chairman of the health and social care select committee, told BBC’s Newsnight at the time: ‘I think it is surprising and concerning that we’re not doing any of it at all when we have just four weeks before we get to the stage that Italy is at.

‘The issue is not whether you or I might get infected at a football match, it’s who we go on to meet.’

A report by MPs later linked 41 Covid deaths to Cheltenham, and a further 37 to the decision to stage Liverpool’s Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid in March 2020

MPs said that it was not clear if the deaths were a direct result of being at the events themselves, or whether they came from associated activities like travelling or people congregating in pubs.

CHELTENHAM TIPS: All the best bets from day one of the Festival including the Champion Hurdle 

By Sam Turner for the Daily Mail

Sportsmail provides all the tips ahead of the opening day of Cheltenham Festival with selections from Britain’s No 1 tipster Sam Turner, eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore and festival winning jockey Lizzie Kelly.

Many believe Honeysuckle only needs to turn up today to be crowned a Unibet Champion Hurdle heroine once more.

Henry de Bromhead’s top-class mare defends a perfect record stretching back 14 races in this afternoon’ hurdling showpiece and bookmakers are loath to take many risks on her failing to deliver again.

A six-length rout of Sharjah last year stamped Honeysuckle as one of National Hunt racing’s new icons and she has done little to dispel that tag since, continuing to beat every rival put in front of her.

Defending champion Honeysuckle is odds-on favourite to win the Champion Hurdle

However, there is a chance she faces a stiffer test this time as a then out-of-kilter Epatante was second favourite last year, while Goshen, a considerably better hurdler going right-handed, was only 11-2.

This year’s renewal appears to feature greater strength in depth, with last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner APPRECIATE IT (Cheltenham, 3.30) representing the all-conquering Willie Mullins stable, while five-year-olds Teahupoo and Adagio are improving hurdlers.

2020 winner Epatante, back issues seemingly rectified, is another that cannot be dismissed along with Tommy’s Oscar, who boasts such a high cruising speed that he must surely boast at least a frame chance.

Willie Mullins’ 2021 Supreme winner Appreciate It will take on Honeysuckle on Tuesday

Honeysuckle’s supporters may not be quaking in the face of those challenges, but they have more to offer than last year’s opposition and, if Mullins has worked the oracle with Appreciate It, then his eight-year-old is a very exciting proposition. 

Last year’s Supreme wasn’t a vintage renewal but the selection was incredibly dominant in a time not dissimilar to that of Honeysuckle.

Mullins has resisted the urge to run Appreciate It this season, but, as we know from six-time festival winner Quevega, long absences are not an issue for the Closutton maestro.

ROBIN GOODFELLOW

1.30 Dysart Dynamo

2.10 Riviere D’etel

2.50 Gericault Roque

3.30 Appreciate It

4.10 Queens Brook (nap)

4.50 The Tide Turns

5.30 Run Wild Fred (nb)

GIMCRACK 

1.30 Jonbon (nap)

2.10 Haut En Couleurs

2.50 Tea Clipper

3.30 Honeysuckle

4.10 Stormy Ireland (nb)

4.50 Hms Seahorse

5.30 Vanillier

 Northerner – 2.50 Vintage Clouds (nap)

SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE

Mullins could begin the meeting on the front foot with the explosive DYSART DYNAMO (Cheltenham, 1.30) in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The unbeaten six-year-old’s all-guns-blazing style is not necessarily perfect for this assignment, but there are other front-runners in the field and I’m hoping Paul Townend may be able to get a tow into the race without expending all the petrol.

The imposing Constitution Hill represents an enormous danger and it isn’t difficult to envisage this strong stayer at two miles arriving with a big challenge at the final flight. Hopefully, Dysart Dynamo will be able to withstand that late assault.

SPORTING LIFE ARKLE CHASE

Edwardstone represents one of the best British hopes for the week and, given a virtually blemish-free record over fences, is extremely difficult to knock — so I won’t! 

But RIVIERE D’ETEL (Cheltenham, 2.10) has probably achieved more in her chasing career and was unlucky not to win the Irish equivalent of this race at the Dublin Racing Festival. Coeur Sublime, third that day, is a tall price for a horse of his ability, with some firms offering four places.

Edwardstone represents one of the best British hopes at Cheltenham this week

ULTIMA HANDICAP CHASE

This race has been kind to the connections of GERICAULT ROQUE (Cheltenham, 2.50), who landed this race twice with Un Temps Pour Tout in 2016 and 2017.

CLOSE BROTHERS MARES’ HURDLE

QUEENS BROOK (Cheltenham, nap, 4.10) looked as though the run would do her good when chasing home Burning Victory at Punchestown last month and she looks a decent bet to reverse placings.

BOODLES & NH CHASE

GORDON ELLIOTT may enjoy a favourable conclusion with THE TIDE TURNS (Cheltenham, 4.50) holding a strong hand in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, while RUN WILD FRED (Cheltenham, nb, 5.30) boasts all the attributes to lift the finale.

 

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