46,000 Irish due to travel for four-day Cheltenham Festival

The going will be soft to good for travellers to the Cheltenham Festival today, with scattered showers followed by sunny spells, moderate breezes and mild temperatures anticipated for the event.

Some one in five visitors - or an estimated 46,000 - who travel to the annual festival is Irish, according to festival organisers, and the majority will fly to the event at Cheltenham, almost 100 miles west of London, between Bristol and Birmingham.

Race sponsor Ryanair has put on up to 20 additional flights to its normal schedule to Birmingham, Bristol and the East Midlands to cater for festival-goers.

Those who fly into London can take the train from Paddington to Cheltenham Spa and a taxi or bus for three miles to the racecourse. Last year, there were 649 helicopter landings at the course during the meeting. And for people who wish to arrive in the style of a different time, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway runs a special hospitality steam train service from Toddington.

A large number of race-goers will take their cars to the festival, travelling by ferry and driving overland. According to the festival organisers, there is extensive car parking available, which is well signposted, at a charge of €14.63 (£10) a day.

Some 30,000 cars, 2,000 coaches and 50 stretch limos will bring people to the races.

Up to 230,000 people are expected to attend over the four days of the festival, with 70,000 on Gold Cup day. With ticket prices ranging from €30-€117 (£20-£80), the event will earn organisers gate receipts in excess of €10.5 million (£7 million).

Bookmakers also anticipate a healthy profit. More than €731.5 million (£500 million) will be staked on the 24 races that make up the festival, with millions of that spent on the course with more than 200 bookmakers.

Generous profits will also be made by caterers. Letheby & Christopher will serve 20,000 bottles of champagne, 30,000 bottles of wine, 240,000 bottles of beer and lager, and 225,000 pints of Guinness, as well as 10,000 gallons of tea and coffee.

Some 10,000 people a day will sit down to three- or four-course lunches, but the majority of the crowd will eat 50,000 rounds of sandwiches, 46,000 bread rolls, 25,000 beef burgers and hotdogs, accompanied by 20,000 portions of chips.

For those who come to the festival for more than just the racing, there are 50 stands selling an array of goods from silverware to Spanish property.