FESTIVAL SALES BONANZA
MELISSA JONES
FANS have snapped up all of the tickets for Cheltenham Gold Cup day in record time.
Never before has the Festival showpiece event on March 18 sold out before the end of January.
Eager fans have booked in their droves, The Jockey Club say, with just six weeks to go.
Only a selection of hospitality packages remain, as racegoers return to the flagship meeting.
The impressive sales figures come after the 2021 fixture was held behind closed doors.
As Minella Indo charged up the hill to defeat stablemate A Plus Tard in the Gold Cup, the stands stood empty.
Ticket purchases for the other three days of the Festival are up 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.
Nevin Truesdale, chief executive for Cheltenham’s owners The Jockey Club, said: “We know that the past two years have been a time of real uncertainty for everyone, so it’s fantastic to see people’s eagerness to get back to our racecourses and their confidence to book tickets for our events months in advance returning.”
There has also been unprecedented demand for Randox Grand National day at Aintree on April 9.
Dual winner Tiger Roll, 33-1 with the bookies to emulate hat-trick hero Red Rum, is among the 107 entries.
The list, revealed yesterday, also includes last year’s scorer Minella Times, who gave Rachael Blackmore (left) a historic first success for a female jockey.
But the horse she deserted in the Gold Cup, winner Minella Indo, could get his season back on track at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Rival Frodon has warmed up for his tilt at the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup with a Ditcheat schooling session under Bryony Frost.