ITS ALL ABOUT THE GOLD CUP FESTIVAL

The Gold Cup Festival happens in Cheltenham every year during the month of March.
It offers four days of unrivalled horse racing action. The atmosphere the race brings is unparalleled and encompasses everything great about jump racing. 

First established in 1819 as a flat race that ran over 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham. The race has since developed and grown and was first run as a jump race in 1924 with a prize fund of £685 for the winning horse. Now the Timico sponsored Cheltenham Gold Cup is the blue ribbon event of the Cheltenham Festival and attracts the sports finest staying steeplechasers. The prize fund of £625,000 makes the Gold Cup the richest non-handicap chase in Britain with only the Randox Health Grand National’s £1m worth more. 

The festival itself is split across the four days which are Champions Day, Ladies Day, St Patrick’s Thursday and the Gold Cup. 

Day 1: Champions Day

Full of nerves and anticipation for the greatest racing week, day 1 features the most important hurdle race of the season, The Unibet Champions Hurdle. It features the most ever-competitive OLBG Mares Hurdle Race and the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

Day 2: Ladies Day

Giving the ladies a chance to enjoy the very best in jump racing as well as dressing up in their finest outfits with the fashionable crowd of racegoers. This day is all about adding a splash of colour, whether its hats, shoes, gloves or scarves, so longs as there is colour you can be entered into the #ColourMeMarch competition for a brand new Mini One from W.O Lewis and Sytner Solihull (sorry gentlemen, this is exclusive for the ladies). 

Day 3: St Patrick’s Thursday

To celebrate St Patrick’s Day the Thursday is a real Irish affair with an atmosphere to boot. The day is kicked off with the JLT Novice Chase as well as the Sun Bets Stayers Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase. 

Day 4: Gold Cup Day

The ultimate climax of the festival and arguably the best days racing of the year. One of the most sought after titles in racing is decided on this final day and always promises to provide a wonderful spectacle to behold. The Timico Gold Cup is associated with the most elite of the sport and the roar of the crowd as the horses charge up the famous hill to the finish is immense.

Across the four days it is believed that over 62,000 visitors will come to Cheltenham specifically for the festival. It is thought that the local economic impact of the festival each year is in the millions. The airlines facilitate additional flights from Ireland just to meet the demands of the festival. The festival itself is a spectacular event to be a part of, but visitors can experience so much more whilst here. Being situated in the heart of the Cotswolds there are beautiful towns and villages to visit which have some of the best boutique shops, bars, cafes and restaurants the country has to offer.

During the festival, Cheltenham town itself is transformed from a spa town to the hustle and bustle of a major city. The bars, clubs, hotels, shops and restaurants welcome visitors with open arms and provide a top quality service throughout the event. The Jockey Club put on additional transport for the visitors, in particular over 50 additional coach services throughout the UK come to Cheltenham to meet the demands of the racegoers. 

However, if you don’t want to stand in line waiting for a bus, or get up in the crowds ,then why not use a chauffeur. A chauffeur will meet and greet you in their luxury vehicle and take you where you want to go in total relaxation. Collecting you from your hotel, home or the airport, why not really make this weekend even more of a special event!
Many chauffeurs also offer day rates, so they will be at your demand for the entire day to take you to the races, shopping or out for a meal at the end of the evening. They can even provide airport transfers so all you have to do is just sit back and enjoy stress-free travel.

Why not get your transport booked for next years Gold Cup? Contact us here