where is the arkle bar and lawn situated? and the guinness tent??

Tory 15 Feb 12 20:35
I went for the first time last year 1TP and can honestly say didnt have a problem with view or toilets.

Watched Supreme up to the CH from in front of Guinness Village - had Tatts tickets and didnt really know where that was or what it allowed. School Boy error.

For the end of that day, and all Wed, my mate and i would be in the bar at the top of Tatts tiered standing area right opposite the winning line. Dont know the name of the bar but we were able to walk out about 5-10 mins before each race and find a spot on the railing which gave a perfect view of the course and big screen. Best bit for me was that you had a completely uninterrupted view of the home straight.

Thats the one and only time i've been to Cheltenham so will try to find some of these other bars being mentioned. Spent the end of both days in the bar which is kind of in the open slightly higher up from the parade ring. Again, dont know the name so people can feel free to tell me

This is where I meant to put my post. This is gold dust, thank you. Anyone else fill in any of the blanks for us first time Tattsers?

Anyone else been going since 1991 (or sooner) and had enough now ?

I'm happier watching on TV

got fed up of doing exactly the same thing at the same time , same hotel , same pubs , standing in the same place etc. year after year.

Mary, I think that's the Winged Ox bar.

I'll never forget that day horse9 - without doubt the worst experience on a racecourse in my life.

Pissed wet through, everyone had umbrellas up so couldn't see the screen, people cheering when Kauto fell nearly got me chucked out for nearly smacking some pr1ck who cheered, and another pr1ck hurling abuse at Restless Harry after he got up when he fell in the AB (looked like he wouldn't get up at one stage)

Never been on the Friday since (admitadly it was only a couple of years ago), and will NEVER go in the Best Mate again.  That enclosure is a disgrace to such a wonderful horse.

Well said Wellchief. People who cheer when horses fall or ae injured should be thrown ou an banned for life. Utterly disgraceful behaviour. The reaction of some of the people around me when Rewilding littlerally snapped his leg at Ascot was astonishing.

Cheering fallers never happened in NH racing, I can only think it's the advent of exchanges that's changes attitudes as I really don;t believe the himan race has degenerated into heartless b'stards wishing pain and injury on the very subjects that perform for our entertainment ?

Talking on the Albert Bartlett, do you rememebr Black Harry falling at the last when Withcita Lineman won ?#I stood in the middle of the course by the last hurdle and watched it unfold - Ruby was thrown 30 yuards from teh horse but sprinted back and sat on the horses neck to stop him from getting up and further damaging his leg, Ruby literally saved the horses life.
He stayed with the horse for 15 mins until he got up and then the biggest cheer of the day as they took the screens down and he walked the horse back into the unsaddling enclosure - lump in throat moment !
And all this right before riding Kauto Star to his first Gold Cup win - incredible scenes.
The guy went as high as he can go in my estimations that day....

Fair points mate

Although I have to admit I've never been in Club for the Festival - would love to but I think £65 is far too steep - especially if there is a big group of you (I think there are 13 of us this year and there's no way I'd ask all 13 to shell out £130 each for 2 days racing).

If I had the choice of 3 days in the BM for £22 a day or 1 day in Club at £65, I'd take the 3 in the BM all the time.

I'm loathe to give out my best kept secret, as took a while to find it and don't want to ruin it, but in the spirit of building up some 'goodwill points' for March, here goes...
Behind the grandstand and above the paddock area (upstairs) there's a small bar where you can get a beer fairly easily (will also see a few 'faces' in there), but the best part about it is the loo next door - nobody knows its there, and if you're a newbie to the festival, believe you me thats vital! Blimey, I've just realised how much I sound like my dad!!!

Horse9 - good post re Black Harry. I had forgotten about him.

Sadly I heard a few isolated cheers in Club when Kauto took that hideous fall. Mainly drunk, day-tripping idiots who as far as I am concerned should be escorted from the premises.

On this point though, I have to say, I think things have deteriorated a bit. As the courses push beer and drink to entice the day tripper rather than the enthusiast this problem seems to grow. I know lots of lovers of the sport who have a drink at the track but do not do this, it is usually just the nutters in my experience.

One thing that still excites me at the festival is to stop and soak it up as it starts to fill up in the hours before the first. 99% of those there have been waiting patiently for so long for what is about to unfold, care passionately about the sport, the glorious history of it, and more than anything about the horses and their welfare, and it is 4 days of unmitigated fun and drama. I feel privilleged to have been before and to go again and always remind myself of that when I travel on Monday and when I arrive at the track at 10.30ish on the Tuesday.

R Carver - good post.

My first festival 1990 was when the old Bula stand stood proud, a wooden shack next to the 'new' club grandstand, 30k attended Gold Cup Day and it was nowhere near the spectacle it is today.
I do sadly think that since punters have the opportunity to lay/sell horses I do feel their pockets have removed common sense from their brains and watching a stricken horse lie on the floor whilst high-fiving is as sick as it gets.
Thankfully these scum are few and far between, the vast vast majority are decent racegoers - the day Cheltenham gets like Royal Ascot with 20k clueless spivs getting dressed up, remining in a bar all day and leaving completely wasted will be the day I give up going...

R Carver - good post.

My first festival 1990 was when the old Bula stand stood proud, a wooden shack next to the 'new' club grandstand, 30k attended Gold Cup Day and it was nowhere near the spectacle it is today.
I do sadly think that since punters have the opportunity to lay/sell horses I do feel their pockets have removed common sense from their brains and watching a stricken horse lie on the floor whilst high-fiving is as sick as it gets.
Thankfully these scum are few and far between, the vast vast majority are decent racegoers - the day Cheltenham gets like Royal Ascot with 20k clueless spivs getting dressed up, remining in a bar all day and leaving completely wasted will be the day I give up going...

fingers crossed,hopes at the ready,look out to cleeve hill,remember to breathe then enjoy fully my favourite week of the entire year

Know that feeling well, and couldn't have put it better myself - well said 180!

180 - Stop it,still got 3 full weeks of grinding work to go and it's on my mind constantly,i cant look at my phone without someone asking me if im on betfair or oddschecker! -

Horse9 - the day Cheltenham gets like Royal Ascot with 20k clueless spivs getting dressed up, remining in a bar all day and leaving completely wasted will be the day I give up going... - me too I am afraid.

R Carver - I echo those sentiments entirely.

It might be too early (probably not) to get this excited but there is truly nothing like that Tuesday when you arrive. I've been lucky enough to go to some pretty huge events in world sport but I have never felt the electricity of such optimism that is literally hanging in the air on the Tuesday. It seems to just cling to you like mist from the second you see the course on the drive in.

At that point you are buoyed by the magical history of the meeting, as all your favourite memories flood back to you (Dessie's Gold Cup, Istabraq and Best Mate's hat-tricks, Moscow Flyer, Kauto and Denman, the 50-1 shot that actually came in for you so that you were the only one cheering it home). Plus, you have that glorious excitement of the whole week to come, and know that (fingers crossed) something new will emerge as a star this time round.

I did all four days for the first time in 2011 and will do all four from now on, although I do agree that Friday's crowd seems to be a little way away from the other three. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other three days last time, just because of the overcrowding and the influx of people who seem to care less about the racing. Also think the planning of the racing is a little off - Friday's card doesn't excite me as much as the other three now. Besides the Gold Cup, I think it's a little light on quality. The Triumph has never been my favourite race and the last three races are usually forgettable.

Wouldn't it be great if every day felt like that first Tuesday...

PS: Black Harry sticks in my mind for a lot of reasons. Firstly, Ruby was brilliant with how he kept him alive that day. Secondly, such a shame that it effectively ended his career as that was one mighty looking horse - he'd have been a sensational chaser. Thirdly, I would have had my biggest win ever at the Festival if he had won. He was beaten when falling but looked home and hosed coming down the hill and I had snapped up 40s, 33s, 25s etc in the build-up to the meeting. Rarely can I remember such excitement turning to such dread when he came down.

I expected to get slaughtered for being some sort of traitor but some of your comments emphasise my reasons for not going:
'too many people'
'Best Mate stand a disgrace to such a wonderful horse'
people cheering when horses fall
k nobhead / proper racegoer ratio

Tom I will never forget Black Harrys terrible fall at the last that day. I stood to win quite a bit on him and he looked home and hosed coming down the hill but was probably beaten at the time when falling. It was amazing that he survived but of course it really finished his career

It's a special moment on the Tuesday, when after a walk from Bishops Cleeve, we pass the railway station, and cross the wooden style into the car park area, and ready ourselves to do battle with the bookies once again!

The Royal Oak WC - mind your head on the low beams inside!? Have I got the right place?

Yrs since I have been there! Never been to the Indian.