What are the must visit areas of the course please before the racing starts?

best advice i can give you is to get to chelt thurs morning, go racing, have a night out, stay in bed n breakfast, go racing on friday.

one day is simply not enough

As first timers and unlikely to ever to visit again


You'll get bitten by the bug and be back every year

Nah doubt it, only going due to the hospitality badges. Don't do crowds too well. Been to Cartmel a few times, kinda stopped going now cos of the crowds and although we enjoyed the Grand National day that again was hospitality and so away from the crowds but wouldn't want to be a paying punter.

Looking forwards to it though.

And cheers for that bonnie but same reason as above. Much rather be in own armchair than be a normal paying punter getting battered from pillar to post cos the officials would rather sell far too many tickets for profit than be interested in safety and an good experience.

Sea, the best place that few people know about is above the parade ring but behind the main betting and refreshments concourse - after the big races you can go and see the winners get drug-tested and get up, close and personal with some of the greats of the game. A friend and I always go, and have been 7 or 8 feet away from the likes of Sprinter Sacre, who posed for photos while the vets were doing there routine checks.

If you're in the tented village, then you'll still have to battle with the crowds, unless you're happy betting on the Nanny. It's a fair old walk down to the ring and it's past the Guinness enclosure, which is always heaving.
In answer to the question, the museum is worth a look before racing.

I would love to do that tomdeane. So if there is time and i am likely to find it i may well take a look at that spot. In answer to your comment Desmond Orchard, the chances of us wanting to have a bet while on the course are pretty slim. We both will have already done our betting on the 3 major grade 1s either antepost or in the morning in the shops where the best value and push outs are. If we decide to have a bet on the later races, i,e the foxhunters etc then we might have a wander down after the gold cup when/if it gets a bit quieter. A day like that though you don't plan anything do you. Just go with the flow.

I am really looking forwards to it though although i don't do big crowds i am privvy to the odd music festival, Leeds festival being a regular haunt.

Have just had email back off Cheltenham and they say the gates open at 10:30am. We will be there hehe

Have a amble to middle of course,and get close to 2nd last fence good stuff.

Does anyone know what time the car park opens?

tomdeane 07 Feb 15 15:21 Joined: 29 Jul 04 | Topic/replies: 1,451 | Blogger: tomdeane's blog

Sea, the best place that few people know about is above the parade ring but behind the main betting and refreshments concourse - after the big races you can go and see the winners get drug-tested and get up, close and personal with some of the greats of the game. A friend and I always go, and have been 7 or 8 feet away from the likes of Sprinter Sacre, who posed for photos while the vets were doing there routine checks.

Sea, the best place that few people know about is above the parade ring but behind the main betting and refreshments concourse


I would absolutely adore to get to that spot. If maybe you could be a little more elaborate in your directions?
This being the map they provide on the festival website: http://cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co.uk/plan-your-race-day/visitor-information/racecourse-map
the parade ring being 18 and winners enclosure 26. I'd imagine that area will be totally mobbed though.

It's cunningly not marked on the map! Basically, head to the green dot with the white cross on it, hidden behind the four trees below number 2 on that map.

It really is a best-kept secret as it's completely open-access in that you can get right up to a plastic running rail and see them just a few feet away - there's nobody there to usher you away. Every year there's as little as 100 people there with their iPhones ready to take pics of the big winners.