Hoards of horse racing fans have swapped their fascinators and tweeds for flip-flops and inflatable horse costumes to enjoy the thrills of Cheltenham in Benidorm.
Over halfway through the highlight of the National Hunt season and event organisers are being forced to come to terms with the reality of dwindling attendances and the reasons that have contributed to punters voting with their feet.
Specators were up in arms earlier this week at the prospect of paying close to £8.00 for a pint of Guinness but the price of alcohol is far from the only reason punters are staying away or opting for a whole new viewing experience entirely.
The rising cost of travel, accommodation (some standard hotels are charging £800 for a single night’s stay), tickets for the event itself, as well as food and drink all contributed to Wednesday’s crowd figure of just 41,949, the lowest for a single day since 1993.
It was a drop of nearly 5,000 from last year and it was a similar story on the opening day where the crowd was down to 55,498 from 60,181.
‘The decline is not catastrophic but nor are we seeing growing attendances,’ said Cheltenham’s new CEO Guy Lavender, who assumed his new role after seven successful years with the MCC.
Regardless of the inclement weather and the snow which fell on Wednesday morning, it is little wonder then that hoards of Brits have descended on traditional holiday venues to get their racing fix instead.
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.’
The Winning Post represents one of Benidorm’s major attractions over the course of the jump season’s flagship event where pints cost just €1, a cash book is available all year and races are shown on a variety of screens.
‘My dad started this business 35 years ago,’ explains the bar’s owner Colleen Holm. ‘He worked in different bars out here as a bookie for 10 years and then set this place up.
‘I used to work in Ladbrokes and have been here 18 years now. Cheltenham’s always been big for us, but it’s probably over the last six or eight years that it’s really taken off around Benidorm.’
Despite the obvious attractions the Spanish resort has to offer, ITV racing presenter Ed Chamberlain insists the Festival and Cheltenham will always retain its charm and appeal.
Moreover, under the stewardship of Lavendar, Chamberlain is confident it won’t be long, with some careful tweaks and adjustments, before Cheltenham is again enjoying bumper crowds.
‘There is no doubt that Cheltenham’s hierarchy had started taking things for granted and it came back to haunt them when we ended up broadcasting pictures on ITV of issues such as spectators’ vehicles being towed out of swamp-like car parks,’ Chamberlain told the Daily Mail.
‘Perhaps the experiences of 2024 have led some people to stay away but I’m confident they will be returning soon from what I have seen in the last 48 hours. Guy Lavender, Cheltenham’s new chief executive, has been here, there and everywhere since the Festival started and he has set the right tone.
‘The racegoers I’ve spoken to on course have been overwhelmingly positive about everything, such as the greeting they received on arrival to the ability to walk around the course and the ability to buy food and drink.
‘You can feel that positivity in the atmosphere. If it keeps going like this — and I’ve no doubt Lavender, whose previous role was with cricket’s MCC, will ensure that is the case — then I’d expect stories about people wanting to go to Benidorm instead of the Cotswolds will disappear in due course.’
