Club Enclosure Advice....

Absolutely

whichever you will really struggle to get to the pre parade ring, a good view at the parade ring, a good view to watch the racing itself (you do get to watch from the lawn) and if you manage all those you'll have little chance of  the good craic in the winners. It is a fight against 40,000 others whichever enclosure you choose BUT if you are going the Club offers more opportunity, but is still rank bad value imo.

Doesn't sound like you like Cheltenham very much, maybe a visit to a different forum is in order?!

I go every year - been in both & I'd say Tattersalls are the best, right near the final fence/hurdle & great view of race, also next to the Guinness village which is a short saunter away & by far the best atmosphere on the whole course (especially when the Irish have a winner)! Only day you'll struggle to move around easily is the fri. although I think I'm right in saying they've limited the numbers now after overcrowding 2 years ago.

I stopped going on Friday after 2012 festival. You had to skip a race to get a pint. I go the other 3 days

The Friday is shocking by comparison. First 3 days are easy enough to get around but Gold Cup day isn't at all, still go but tend to spend most of it round the parade ring.

As posted on similar thread for me you got a get a at in grandstand with the tatt badge ...£110 ish , great view , bar under the stand where you get served in five min max, ladies and tote in the bar...short walk to parade ring etc...you can't go wrong and whilst it's an extra £70 per day on top of what you normally pay it really does make the difference..trust me you lose none of the atmosphere, you see more, you can stick on without having delay and the same goes for getting a drink and toilets ...

A at = get a seat

Very interesting Pebbles. How can you book a seat for the Gold Cup Day - do you not have to be a member? where is it available of the Cheltenham website?

Yep, Tatts needs a grandstand

Just looked on website and I am afraid it appears seat are sold out for gold cup day....all other days have seats left...click on the chosen day and in the list of choices of tickets you will see tatts grandstand as an option.  £115...... You also have option of club grandstand ...more expensive and IMO not worth extra as view is as good in tatts seats...your are basically past the winning line as opposed to on and before the winning line in club...once racing starts I never leave my seat and our respective bar so why pay the extra for club....it's really worth it but if gold cup has sold out as I believe it has just remember to book early for next year....interestingly cheltenham rang me today asking if I wanted hospitality etc...I have done the hospitality thing once before and here they are calling me four years on...must be struggling to sell, as they never cold called me before...for the record hospitality at cheltenham is not for me...soulless , surrounded by people who are not really racing fans ...and it's mega expensive...would not do that again ( to summarise how good the seats are I would not give mine up in return for a freebie in the tented hospitality stand )

And no you don't need to be a member to get seat in club or tatts...cash is king

The Real Deal why mistake a dislike for the layout at Cheltenham for a dislike of the racing? Especially as you later make a similar observation yourself about the ease of getting around the course.

Just from the post being a bit negative overall, imo Tue to Thurs is fine but Fri is OTT. Sounds like we both like the racing anyway!

Same as cvb, i avoid friday as it is a horrible experience.

First 3 days their is room to move. I was excited when i went in october and they had bashed down that old stand and their a big space for the viewing public to move  from the paddock to the rails, sadly in november they had built a temporary stand that meant the walkway was now smaller than when the old stand was in place, hopefully they wont do this at the festival.

I always pay the extra as the viewing is so much better.

Was dead easy to walk from paddock in December Sonko

Vowed never to go to Gold Cup day again after the total fiasco of the year Kauto fell, dreadful to see and it was rainy, packed, and was gridlocked trying to get from stand to winners enclosure after the GC. That nag Soldatino won the Triumph somehow and it was just a lamentable day.

That changed last year though when a good friend of mine's old man bought him a Gold Cup day Club ticket,and needed someone to go with. Granted, it was still heaving however with patience and determination you can get a drink in 5 minutes, spent a lot of our time at the top of the stands near the Golden Miller bar I think it is.

It's important if you do go to Gold Cup day to just accept that it'll be very busy and perhaps not the most enjoyable viewing experience you'll ever have; but the atmosphere is fantastic, and hey - it's Gold Cup day! We've waited 360 odd days for it and will have to wait 360 odd days again so bloody soak it up and enjoy it and applaud a Champion.

On the other 3 days, I have always been just a Tatts goer and have no problems but Club does look very easy to move about and do what you like. I happen to quite enjoy the business and buzz of Tatts so have never bothered upgrading for the first 3 days.

The other problem with the Friday is it's full of races I don't really like too much. I dislike the triumph, martin pipe and grand annual. So it's really just 3 good races and that's it.

Thursday is an underrated day, it's the best day to enjoy the track. I always go in early on Thursday and have a walk around. I usually take up camp beside Best Mate after I give him a pat on the nose. I've had a great Thursday every year I've been there too so I suppose that helps.

I love Cheltenham.

Friday is a nightmare, Ive vowed past twice i wouldn't be goin on Friday again, this year I`m going to Kings Head in Bishops Cleeve on Friday :-), personally I dont mind the Best Mate, esp tuesday and wednesday, more actual racing fans, decent view and cheap.

I know the pose is to go and drink yourself stupid, because, hey, on this forum we're all the real hardcore racing fancs 'aint we.

Well, prove it and go without a beer just for a Friday afternoon. Yo won't have bladder management to worry about then, so it's a question of getting a bet on - and you've already done that on Betfair haven;t you? - or getting a vantage point for the races.

It's worth pointing out among all this whingeing about just how awful Friday is, it's a lot quieter after the Gold Cup, in fact if you watch the Foxhunters from the centre of the course by the time you get back to Club it's pretty much like Thursday.

Oh FFS just suck it up! It's Gold Cup Day, that thing we obsess over the other 364 days of the year.

It's quite easy to go without a beer on the Friday as I drive home afterwards, one less thing to do!

Mind you our landlord has taken to popping a bottle of champers on the table with Friday breakfast, it still counts as a Friday afternoon without beers though

would be nice to know what its like in tatts as we have always gone in the best mate

First 3 days their is room to move. I was excited when i went in october and they had bashed down that old stand and their a big space for the viewing public to move  from the paddock to the rails, sadly in november they had built a temporary stand that meant the walkway was now smaller than when the old stand was in place, hopefully they wont do this at the festival.

Good observation IS and I think you'll find that temporary stand is 'permament' until it is redeveloped! Moving from the lawn to parade ring and vice versa was chaotic at the Open meeting. Goodness knows what it will be like in March. Just going Tuesday and Wednesday this year - Arkle and the QMCC are my favourite races. Fell out of love with the Gold Cup day experiences some years ago.