Cheltenham Off

[TightEnd]

I don't get the chance to go much but i love racing at my locals, Towcester and Huntingdon, Newmarket in the summer. Get up close to the action and not too busy

Cheltenham I preferred when it wasn't busy (autumn midweek) as its a great facility in a great panoramic location

Festival week though, turned me off big time from attending again



Once also I took a box at Lords in the Mound stand. Most fantastic view, and invited 8 clients to join me. If I was actually to partake of the facilities I'd paid for...3 course lunch, 2 course tea etc I'd never have watched any cricket due to poor service.

Oh wait, not many do..hence the rows of empty seats for an hour after each interval

[boldie]

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/08/03/12/manual_092918.html

the trainers and jockeys say they'd go ahead.

It is a joke.

[Matt.NFFC.]

Have only been to the races a couple of times at my local tracks (Market Rasen and Southwell) and have loved every minute of it.  I have always wanted to go to the Cheltenham festival but all I hear are tales of woe, both from people I know who have been and from threads like this....wow, looks like I might not bother if it is not all that it's cracked up to be.

So what is so bad about it?

[bobby1]

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/08/03/12/manual_092918.html

the trainers and jockeys say they'd go ahead.

It is a joke.

thats the pont Boldie, everything that needs to be in place and safe for racing to go ahaed is there, the reason they wont race is they cannot now get the zillion drinkers into the tents that make them millions of pounds every year.

Its the same mentality that leads to them shamefully calling the ground good to soft every year when it never is. They want the good ground horses to come but they wont on soft, and they want the soft ground horses to come but they wont on good, so whatever the ground is they will call it good to soft, they were slogging thru it yesterday and they still havent changed it.

[Graham C]

Someone from Cheltenham was on 5 Live and he did say that it wasn't just the corporate tents that were causing a problem, it was a general safety issue.

Cheltenham may be a great festival and I'm sure I'll get there one year, but to be honest, I prefer 'smaller' meetings.    There's far too many people at these things for my liking - queue ages for everything - drinks, toilet, placing bets, getting in and out, it's all a nightmare.    Royal Ascot was somewhere I went every year, but it's just crazy now, not to mention it's a fortune.   

The other meetings are way better and have some excellent horses running from time to time.  Kauto Star graced the Ascot turf a few weeks ago and Diamond Day is a great day out.  I just avoid meetings (not that I go often) with 50,000+ people expected.  Can't beat a day with the tele and the Sporting life!

[boldie]

Have only been to the races a couple of times at my local tracks (Market Rasen and Southwell) and have loved every minute of it.  I have always wanted to go to the Cheltenham festival but all I hear are tales of woe, both from people I know who have been and from threads like this....wow, looks like I might not bother if it is not all that it's cracked up to be.

So what is so bad about it?

50k people standing in front of you..mainly people who are drunk and don't really give a toss about what's going on at the course. Unless you're paying through the nose you'll have a tough time actually seeing the racing.

The racing is the best jumps racing in the world (maybe even the best festival racing period) but the people who scream the loudest at Cheltenham are people who have never been to another track...you probably think that the small racing at your local tracks are great for atmosphere and a good day out and therefore Cheltenham (which has better racing) must have a better atmosphere..it doesn't mate. I would MUCH rather spend the occasional sunny day at Southwell than go to the Festival.

[TightEnd]

Have only been to the races a couple of times at my local tracks (Market Rasen and Southwell) and have loved every minute of it.  I have always wanted to go to the Cheltenham festival but all I hear are tales of woe, both from people I know who have been and from threads like this....wow, looks like I might not bother if it is not all that it's cracked up to be.

So what is so bad about it?

Huge crowds,makes for a good atmosphere but by early afternoon its filthy, people are drunk, huge queues, overpriced food and drink (if you can get to buy it), terrible getting out afterwards

In my experience Aintree is far more attractive..real fans, better behaviour, less commercial


the racing at Cheltenham is clearly stunning but the customer experience for ther festival is a shocker

[bobby1]

Someone from Cheltenham was on 5 Live and he did say that it wasn't just the corporate tents that were causing a problem, it was a general safety issue.

Cheltenham may be a great festival and I'm sure I'll get there one year, but to be honest, I prefer 'smaller' meetings.    There's far too many people at these things for my liking - queue ages for everything - drinks, toilet, placing bets, getting in and out, it's all a nightmare.    Royal Ascot was somewhere I went every year, but it's just crazy now, not to mention it's a fortune.   

The other meetings are way better and have some excellent horses running from time to time.  Kauto Star graced the Ascot turf a few weeks ago and Diamond Day is a great day out.  I just avoid meetings (not that I go often) with 50,000+ people expected.  Can't beat a day with the tele and the Sporting life!

They are gonna say that tho Silo, its like they think the racing people cant see what is going on, they are running the event to make as much money as possible and it has now got to the stage where some hospitailty tents that arent here 47 weeks of the year have brought the greateast 4 days of racing a year to a stop. They will tell you its the wind speed and this and that but as mentioned above the wind speed is higher at both the other meetings scheduled for today and they are both racing.

[turny]

theres nothing like a busy cheltenham for atmosphere. how anyone can say they didnt enjoy or want to go again god knows.

but dont do it at a coperate doo, do it cheaply in the cheap enclosure with the real racing fans from all parts of the uk and ireland, different class.

the whole festival experience is fantastic, rent a cottage in the cotswolds, get your papers early, study the form, get to the town of cheltenham early enjoy the buzz of the town in the bars etc then enjoy top class racing before returning to town to enjoy a few drinks with new found friends.
then in the evening enjoy a nice meal and a number of drinks in a beautiful village pub in the cotswolds. then try walking back to your cottage in the dark and pissed up!
then do it all again next day!

the memories are good!

[turny]

Have only been to the races a couple of times at my local tracks (Market Rasen and Southwell) and have loved every minute of it.  I have always wanted to go to the Cheltenham festival but all I hear are tales of woe, both from people I know who have been and from threads like this....wow, looks like I might not bother if it is not all that it's cracked up to be.

So what is so bad about it?

Huge crowds,makes for a good atmosphere but by early afternoon its filthy, people are drunk, huge queues, overpriced food and drink (if you can get to buy it), terrible getting out afterwards

In my experience Aintree is far more attractive..real fans, better behaviour, less commercial


the racing at Cheltenham is clearly stunning but the customer experience for ther festival is a shocker

god your getting old tighty!

how many times you been rich? was the coporate event your only experience?

[TightEnd]

theres nothing like a busy cheltenham for atmosphere. how anyone can say they didnt enjoy or want to go again god knows.

but dont do it at a coperate doo, do it cheaply in the cheap enclosure with the real racing fans from all parts of the uk and ireland, different class.

the whole festival experience is fantastic, rent a cottage in the cotswolds, get your papers early, study the form, get to the town of cheltenham early enjoy the buzz of the town in the bars etc then enjoy top class racing before returning to town to enjoy a few drinks with new found friends.
then in the evening enjoy a nice meal and a number of drinks in a beautiful village pub in the cotswolds. then try walking back to your cottage in the dark and pissed up!
then do it all again next day!

the memories are good!

I wouldn't go again

but your description sounds the way to do it!

[bobby1]

theres nothing like a busy cheltenham for atmosphere. how anyone can say they didnt enjoy or want to go again god knows.

but dont do it at a coperate doo, do it cheaply in the cheap enclosure with the real racing fans from all parts of the uk and ireland, different class.

the whole festival experience is fantastic, rent a cottage in the cotswolds, get your papers early, study the form, get to the town of cheltenham early enjoy the buzz of the town in the bars etc then enjoy top class racing before returning to town to enjoy a few drinks with new found friends.
then in the evening enjoy a nice meal and a number of drinks in a beautiful village pub in the cotswolds. then try walking back to your cottage in the dark and pissed up!
then do it all again next day!

the memories are good!

you are spot on mate, stand in the best mate enclosure getting p**s wet thru and enjoy the real atmosphere, get into the main stand or the poncey areas and its the equivalent of standing in a crowded room with a load of arseholes.

[turny]

i done it 6 or 7 times that way through the 90s, absolutely loved it, the cotswolds are such a beautiful part of the country as well.

[TightEnd]

Have only been to the races a couple of times at my local tracks (Market Rasen and Southwell) and have loved every minute of it.  I have always wanted to go to the Cheltenham festival but all I hear are tales of woe, both from people I know who have been and from threads like this....wow, looks like I might not bother if it is not all that it's cracked up to be.

So what is so bad about it?

Huge crowds,makes for a good atmosphere but by early afternoon its filthy, people are drunk, huge queues, overpriced food and drink (if you can get to buy it), terrible getting out afterwards

In my experience Aintree is far more attractive..real fans, better behaviour, less commercial


the racing at Cheltenham is clearly stunning but the customer experience for ther festival is a shocker

god your getting old tighty!

how many times you been rich? was the coporate event your only experience?

went to the festival once..corporate..hated it

been a number of times outside the festival...loved it

the festival..non-corporate..as I am now as you say "getting old" so the factors above would still put me off

Strangely I loved Aintree..corporate. Went year after year. excellent fun

[boldie]

theres nothing like a busy cheltenham for atmosphere. how anyone can say they didnt enjoy or want to go again god knows.

but dont do it at a coperate doo, do it cheaply in the cheap enclosure with the real racing fans from all parts of the uk and ireland, different class.

the whole festival experience is fantastic, rent a cottage in the cotswolds, get your papers early, study the form, get to the town of cheltenham early enjoy the buzz of the town in the bars etc then enjoy top class racing before returning to town to enjoy a few drinks with new found friends.
then in the evening enjoy a nice meal and a number of drinks in a beautiful village pub in the cotswolds. then try walking back to your cottage in the dark and pissed up!
then do it all again next day!

the memories are good!

you are spot on mate, stand in the best mate enclosure getting p**s wet thru and enjoy the real atmosphere, get into the main stand or the poncey areas and its the equivalent of standing in a crowded room with a load of arseholes.

True you get a good atmospehere in the Best Mate enclosure..but that's not where I want to stand when watching a race..and it drives me nuts that it's the only place you can stand these days without being surrounded by twats...That's the problem with plenty of the festivals these days. even Chester and the Chester Vase meeting has gone that way..and that's Chester FFS.

Newmarket in July is nice though...probably the nicest flat festival there is...and York the Ebor meeting on the supporting days.