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Ian Davies says
Is it really so hard for people to go without food and drink for five and a half hours?
Apparently not!
Always remember when a works trip was organise to Grand National meeting 1989.
I went to watch and bet on the racing, a rare thing for me as I rarely go. Not backed any winners but did enjoy myself. However most of the party went for the beer tent, watched no or little racing and had a brawl on the coach back.
Ian Davies also says
Chezza doesn’t drink Guinness (horrid, alcoholic, beverage, looks a bit like Dandelion & Burdock but isn’t).
Guinness is a stout, personally I don’t like it either, but my brother enjoys it.
P.S. Don’t like Danelion & Burdock either, I bet you’re a bitter man (you sound like it)
Do think guinness do some good adverts though.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.I was an annual member for more than 25 years but haven’t now been for a few years. Thought I would miss it but don’t really as I can’t really handle the huge crowds as well as the cost. Jockey Club make huge profits from the Festival which helps subsidise other meetings. I’ll be going to Newmarket for the Guineas, £40 for the 2000 and £30 for the 1000, both in the Premier Enclosure. I think that is great value. Much smaller crowds, plenty of room and quality racing and it’s warmer. I’ll also be going to Warwick in a few weeks for Fiver Friday. Quite happy to let others pay exorbitant prices at the festival.
That’s a really good point IMO.^
As someone who benefits from discounted days like Epsom for a tenner (and even then R4R ensures no money exits the ancient, eternally padlocked, Chezza wallet) Chezza ought to be grateful to all “The Fez” racegoers for subsidising Chezza’s trips to other Jockey Club racecourses on quieter days.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I heard that the sparsely attended Rowley Mile stays open because of the huge crowds at the Friday evening meetings on the July Course, the majority of which are there for the concert rather than the racing.
Epsom’s Blue Riband Trial Day was only £10 access all areas both last year and this.
It’s a historic day’s racing, featuring the City And Suburban and Great Metropolitan Handicaps and the opening 5f Handicap is named after Indigenous, former handtimed track (hence world) record holder for 5f.
It’s never very crowded.
The admission price is no doubt subsidised by The Derby meeting.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"The Great Metropolitan Handicap is a shadow of the race it once was, when it was run over two and a quarter miles and started in front of the stands.
But I digress…
That’s true, think that last happened in 1985, but it’s still a historic race day I enjoy.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"However much I’ve said I would actually want to be PAID to attend “the Fez,” you can double it now I’ve read this – lovely!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"They don’t need hydrophobic paint, fixed penalty notices or coppers in strategic locations.
Put enough portaloos along the side of the road on the walk into town and nobody is gonna need to take a comfort break up a tree!
I’ve read some outstanding material on the run up to this year’s “Fez.”
But never mind the admission prices, cost of food and drink, lay-out of the stands or configuration of the circuit, or even this charming insight into how some of the Peaky Blinders wannabe set conduct themselves, one item stands out for me by a country mile.
It was the story about the opportunity to sleep in a converted shipping container instead of a hotel during “Fez” week.
For that unique, illegal asylum seeker experience, I doubt there’s anything to beat it.
I’d need a lifetime’s supply of garlic and onion-infested lasagne, with no chef interaction ramifications, to even consider it.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"The RP headline reads,
Cost of living crisis blamed for alarming drop in Cheltenham crowd figures.Is it though, or are people wising up to the extortionate pricing and value for money?
In the article they question the possible reasons……
Cost?
Has the town priced itself out of consideration?
Is Irish domination a turn-off?
Strikes?
The economy?I don’t think the Irish domination had any effect, people come to watch the quality of the horses, the English/Irish thing is more of a sideshow and basically media driven.
Train strikes might influence people, but I wouldn’t think to that degree.
The economy perhaps, but for the genuine racegoer, they’ll find the money if they want to go and for the others, it’s just disposable income that they will blow anyway. It’s difficult to get tickets to watch a Liverpool home game and the rugby looked to capacity, so people will pay to attend events.
Has the town priced itself out of consideration?
From what I’ve read, perhaps they have. With the high cost of travel, admission, food and drink to add on, surely it has to influence peoples decision to attend or watch on TV, especially the Irish travellers.Cost?
Admission prices have continued to rise, and along with the high beverage prices have they reached a point where the event isn’t value for money anymore?I used to attend religiously for the three days every year without fail. A dedicated pilgrim.
Like Ian, I refused to pay the high prices for food and drink and always resented paying the members pricing and being unable to move around. I walked the course, put any remaining bets on and then found a spot in the stands sat on a cold concrete step for the next hour and a half waiting for racing to start. If I didn’t, I’d never find a decent vantage point to watch the racing.
Getting to the toilets was a challenge in itself and finally when there, they were in a disgusting condition.
I parked in a designated car park just the once and it took literally hours to even get off the field onto the road and at the time they charged me a tenner for the pleasure of parking there.
The penny dropped one day and I decided it just wasn’t worth it anymore, so I watched on TV and caught the final couple of races at the bookies…….and never regretted it.
However, everybody interested in NH horse racing should consider going at some point, because it is well worth experiencing this great sporting event.
Thank goodness they didn’t ruin it further by making it five days, but you can see why they wanted it and it’s not to increase the quality of the racing.
Everybody on here is interested in horse racing, why don’t you go?
Easy for you to say. I live quite a distance from Cheltenham and I only pass it if I’m going on holiday down south, usually Devon or Cornwall. Going to Cheltenham is like a trip to Mecca for a Muslim. Once in a lifetime. The crowds will put me off as well. My luck I’d probably get pickpocketed by Chezza for my bacon sandwich.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Too expensive and too crowded and noisy. It would also take about three hours to get there on crowded trains. Then three hours to get home on trains full of noisy drunks.
Throw in the cost of food and drink and the amount of time queueing and it does not add up to a pleasant experience.
Cheltenham is also a poor track for viewing. The horses always seem miles away.
I go to Aintree on Thursday instead. The food and drink is similarly expensive but it is not so crowded. The view of the racing on the Mildmay course is far better. And a card featuring 4 Grade 1s costs only £32. I can get there in half an hour too!
“Everybody on here is interested in horse racing, why don’t you go?”
Really good question at the end of a really good posting from griff, IMO.
As I’ve said countless times, I’m not that keen on Cheltenham generally, don’t like the course lay out and positioning of the stands relative to the circuit and the crowds are horrendous for anyone who doesn’t like having their body space invaded.
But it’s a beautiful location and the highest-quality Jump racing, so maybe I’d get over all that, but for the fact I don’t like being ripped off on a point of general principle.
I could actually easily afford to go – it’s only once a year – but I could be a billionaire (which I’m not) and I’d still resent that feeling I was being had for a mug over the pricing of literally everything.
Champions’ Day at Ascot just up the road from me is actually better value – I went both years Frankel ran and in 2021 too and enjoyed all three.
Yes, I had to grab a spot literally on the line in the King Edward Stand literally an hour before Frankel’s Champion Stakes and not budge, but it was worth it.
Cheltenham seems the biggest rip off in racing and I’m sure many who could afford it now refuse to go on a point of general
principle.“My luck I’d probably get pickpocketed by Chezza for my bacon sandwich.”
If it was starting to look like the only way Chezza could end the meeting in front, that bacon sarnie might indeed require an armed guard, Neil.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Too expensive and too crowded and noisy. It would also take about three hours to get there on crowded trains. Then three hours to get home on trains full of noisy drunks.”
Sums it up nicely, CAS.
I used to love the festival in the 90s, when one could actually walk around the place and get served at the bars, etc, but now it’s just too crowded and uncomfortable. I think last year’s visit may well have been my last.
Give me Plumpton on a Monday anytime.
Don’t know if I missed it on ITV but when Channel 4 Presented racing from Cheltenham festival, they always showed the Cleeve Hill area. Always looked lovely there, and probably were Chezza might watch the festival, through binoculars.
You've got to accentuate the positive.
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative.
Don't mess with mister in between.Less than ten years ago, a “Hand Picked” hotel near Plumpton offered tickets for Easter Bank Sunday, a room for the Sunday night with a five-course dinner for two, a lovely breakfast on the Easter Monday morning and tickets for the Monday Plumpton card, all for £140.
Outstanding value and a really pleasant experience.
How times have changed and I’m not just referring to the inflation rate in the intervening years.
It’s “Rip-Off Britain” and tbh it’s a malaise that probably extends beyond not only the Cheltenham Festival, but beyond racing itself.
“probably were Chezza might watch the festival, through binoculars.”
Being the proud owner of an (admittedly aging) iphone XR, Chezza would actually watch the racing on that, Neil.
At home – chez Chezza.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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