Kian no also ran
Race fans will brave Covid-19
RACEGOERS last night stuck two fingers up to the coronavirus threat to start a 96-hour bets and booze marathon at Cheltenham.
Love Island and Towie stars, maths whizz Carol Vorderman, telly host Nick Knowles and singer Gareth Gates were among huge crowds as the festival kicked off yesterday.
Princess Anne attended, as did daughter Zara Tindall and her exengland rugby star husband Mike. More than 200,000 people are expected at the meet this week, a highlight in the annual race calendar, despite fears over the Covid-19 outbreak.
Boozy punters arrived at the races donning face masks as “banter” yesterday.
And they promised to drink their way through the crisis.
Paul Underwood and his pals go to the races every year. The 28-year-old, of Wexford, said: “I wasn’t worried, not one bit. We are fit and healthy.”
Ian Renton, of Jockey Club Racecourses, said of this year’s races: “It’s a huge event for all the participants, as well as locally it’s a big event for the local economy, so we’re very pleased the Government has taken the view that the Festival should go ahead this year.”
More than 300 new dispensers have been throughout the site.
Racegoers will down an estimated 265,000 pints of Guinness and 50,000 bottles of champagne over the four days. sanitiser installed
A Nine-year-old racing fan with cerebral palsy was a VIP guest at Cheltenham yesterday.
Sport lover Kian Burley got a surprise visit by his favourite jockey Paddy Brennan, 38, at St Michael’s Primary School in Doncaster last week.
The lad, who often yells “go on Paddy lad” and his mum Hannah were given tickets for the first day.
She said: “He has never let anything beat him.”