And they’re off… to BENIDORM! British Cheltenham fans don fancy dress as they watch the racing from the Costa Blanca – paying 85p a pint instead of £7.80!
Boozy punters, horses and jockeys all raring to go for the ‘greatest show on turf’… but this is Benidorm, not Cheltenham racecourse.
Here spectators watch the steeplechasing poolside, either sunbathing with their tops off or donning ridiculous fancy dress.
Most of the ‘horses’ are holidaymakers in inflatable costumes, while others dress up in mock jockey’s silks and silly hats – a far cry from the fascinators and tweeds worn by racing fans in the Cotswolds.
The price of pints is another thing which sets the Costa Blanca resort apart from the historic Festival.
Day one attendees shared their outrage on Monday at the ‘rip off’ cost of a Guinness – a staggering £7.80 – compared to the €1 (85p) pints on offer at some bars in the holiday hotspot.
The bargain prices, combined with the fact that more establishments are now showing the event on big screens, have left many racegoers adamant that they will not be returning to watch the event in-person.
Graham White, a service technician from Glasgow, told The Times that he went to Cheltenham a few years ago but has now decided to swap it for Benidorm.
‘I’m never going back. I was suited and booted but it’s too posh, too snobby,’ the 39-year-old said. ‘I’d rather be here, soaking up the sun with a few drinks and having craic with the lads.’
Excitable horseracing fans cheer on their pick during the Cheltenham Festival events today
Punters dressed as jockeys (and one wearing a huge inflatable horse costume) gather in Benidorm town centre to watch Cheltenham
Pints were flowing in Benidorm today as punters preparing to watch Cheltenham enjoyed the sunshine
Some Benidorm bars have reportedly started charging up to €15 to secure a space for the day, though most venues have free entry
While many basked in the spring sunshine on the Spanish coast for day one of the festival yesterday, it’s a different story in dreary Gloucestershire.
Thousands of punters heading to day two of the festival are facing chilly conditions, with snow falling on the track this morning and temperatures peaking at just 9C.
Videos shared on social media show horses and riders who were on the course early on Wednesday battling through the wintery conditions.
The Met Office said snow was forecast until around 10am on Wednesday with overcast conditions predicted for the rest of the day.
One user posted on X: ‘Just when you think you’ve seen it all… snow has now arrived at Cheltenham. Bright blue skies an hour ago, can’t see the back straight now.’
Meanwhile there are highs of 19C and sunshine predicted in Benidorm today, as punters prepare to gather around screens to watch the broadcast.
Amid a shift to TV viewing, Cheltenham has been grappling with falling attendance, with the number of people buying tickets to the event reportedly falling by 187 per cent overall in the past two years.
Chief executive Guy Lavender admitted in the build-up to this year’s event that organisers ‘are expecting fewer racegoers to be joining us in person this week’.
Meanwhile in Benidorm, Cheltenham is becoming bigger business than ever.
A big screen displays the day’s events, with Brits risking sunburn to watch the races from Spain
Holidaymakers tuck into a full English at pubs in the resort ahead of the races
Horseracing fanatics pile into a pub to watch the events in Benidorm
Brits wearing fake jockey silks gather to watch the day’s events on a big screen in Benidorm
Punters place their bets on the horses and excitedly queue for drinks at one bar
Many pubs have outdoor big screens to make the most of the influx of horseracing fans
Horseracing fans in Benidorm check the British papers as they decide which horse to put their money on
Attracted by the sun and sea, around a million Brits flock to to the city annually, and increasingly early March is a boom time for pubs and hotels.
The Winning Post, among the most popular venues to view the events, has a dozen televisions around the bar, with punters turning up from 9am each day to bag the best seats.
Owner Colleen Holm said that since she took over 18 years ago, Cheltenham become ‘the busiest time of the year for us’.
‘We’ve got racing forms so people can pick their horses, and many stay for as long as they want without losing their table,’ she said.
‘My dad set this up 25 years ago and when I arrived, we were probably the only bar showing Cheltenham, but now the whole of Benidorm shows it.’
Racegoers Tess Garner, 38, Daisy Mallan, 21 and Floella Mallan, 22 from Newmarket are pictured at the festival today
Racegoers watching the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival
Snow falls as a horse and jockey warm up on the gallops on day two of the Cheltenham Festival
There were some silly hats among the tweeds and fascinators at the racecourse today
With seats so sought-after, some Benidorm bars have reportedly started charging up to €15 to secure a space for the day, though most venues have free entry.
Another popular spot to watch the action unfold is the nearby Marina Resort, where more than 500 spectators pile in around a giant poolside screen.
Those who don’t turn up early to get a seat – some of which are taken by 8.30am, hours before the main event – stand or sit on the patio.
This morning, queues formed outside of the most popular bars in the city’s New Town.
Punters started on the pints early as they got ready for a day of sun and betting, with many seen clutching euros and newspapers as they decided which horse to bet on.
