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Cheltenham Festival 2014 Advice

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Comments

  • #62
    finbarrk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    Anyone going to Stratford on the Monday?


  • #63
    anuprising
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 373 ✭✭anuprising


    yes , stopping off in stratford on way to Cheltenham .


  • #64
    Volvic12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 322 ✭✭Volvic12


    finbarrk wrote: »
    Anyone going to Stratford on the Monday?

    Is Stratford worth going to?
    At the moment, plan on just heading to Chelthenham for the day on the Monday and watching the racing in some pub there.


  • #65
    anuprising
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 373 ✭✭anuprising


    kind of thing you have to do once if you can
    racing is ok , called irish day , great Craic


  • #66
    finbarrk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    anuprising wrote: »
    yes , stopping off in stratford on way to Cheltenham .

    Taxi? or driving yourselves?


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  • #67
    anuprising
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 373 ✭✭anuprising


    finbarrk wrote: »
    Taxi? or driving yourselves?
    driving , got a ford focus €80 Monday to Thursday between 3


  • #68
    BumperD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭BumperD


    Volvic12 wrote: »
    Is Stratford worth going to?
    At the moment, plan on just heading to Chelthenham for the day on the Monday and watching the racing in some pub there.

    Never been there but Oliver Brady usually runs a "sure thing" there, followed by drinks and stupid bets, que wallet and confidence blown for Day 1 of the greatest show on earth. I'd personally give it a wide berth and stick around Chelt for Monday but each to their own.


  • #69
    anuprising
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 373 ✭✭anuprising


    BumperD wrote: »
    Never been there but Oliver Brady usually runs a "sure thing" there, followed by drinks and stupid bets, que wallet and confidence blown for Day 1 of the greatest show on earth.

    you've never been there so you must be guessing that people drink and do stupid bets ?
    you shouldn't turn people off an event you have no experience of

    I have been numerous times and it's a great chill out day before the hectic antics of Cheltenham , where you can meet and chat to old timers who are doing the trip donkeys years , and are only too willing to chew the fat and tell lies and story's etc
    the racing isn't great but the day isn't solely about that and traditionally the irish have a gamble lined up to 'fund' the trip to cheltenham but that doesn't always work out .

    if you can't control ur drinking or gambling it's probably not the place for you , personally I drive there , no drink and have a few small bets , drive on to Cheltenham and maybe head up around jackdaws castle that evening , meet like minded peopke , eat good fodder and get well watered as it might be a while till I eat properly again once racing on the Tuesday starts

    I always buy club tickets and this let's you head up to the course from 7am to watch the horses schooling on the centre gallops , there's even a chuck wagon for breakfast from 730am I think . lots of journalists , jockeys and mad bastards around . again it's something everyone should do at least once


  • #70
    BumperD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭BumperD


    I've heard horror stories of people heading to that track, getting sucked into that old tradition of an Irish gamble exactly as you described and losing their bollicks on the eve of the greatest show on earth. Charming as you make it all sound, but given the thread title, I'd said I'd pass on the note of caution. Enjoy your day out.


  • #71
    Clonsuttonlad
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 196 ✭✭Clonsuttonlad


    If you can't handle the drinking or gambling at Stratford you might be better off giving Cheltenham a miss.


    Man gets drunk and loses all his money at Stratford = 'oh the tragedy "

    Man gets drunk and loses all his money at Cheltenham = ok because it's good quality racing.

    Drinking and gambling is a crazy combination and always ends in Disaster and self loathing. If im drinking I limit myself to ten euro a race. But have put on bigger silly bets when drinking when I was younger.


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  • #72
    anuprising
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 373 ✭✭anuprising


    BumperD wrote: »
    I've heard horror stories of people heading to that track, getting sucked into that old tradition of an Irish gamble exactly as you described and losing their bollicks on the eve of the greatest show on earth. Charming as you make it all sound, but given the thread title, I'd said I'd pass on the note of caution. Enjoy your day out.


    your hanging around with the wrong people so .. anybody who gets sucked in to a gamble deserves to lose as they are weak minded and weak willed -
    losing your weeks stake money at Stratford is like blowing your load at the front door of a brothel - only teenagers do it :-)


  • #73
    BumperD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭BumperD


    As I said, each to their own. Enjoy your day at stratford and getting "wasted" afterwards.

    Perhaps there's a bit of yin and yang to attending Stratford before the festival. If I ever head there, it will be for a shakespeare tour rather than the racing :)


  • #74
    Clonsuttonlad
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 196 ✭✭Clonsuttonlad


    Anyone who bets on the P O Brady gamble is brave.

    They certainly deserved any drunken money made on Imperial Shabra in 2012!


  • #75
    finbarrk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    BumperD wrote: »
    As I said, each to their own. Enjoy your day at stratford and getting "wasted" afterwards.

    Perhaps there's a bit of yin and yang to attending Stratford before the festival. If I ever head there, it will be for a shakespeare tour rather than the racing :)

    Hopefully I will. There is a forum here for Shakespeare fans.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=19


  • #76
    Edwardguire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭Edwardguire


    Edwardguire wrote: »
    Ah right.. I'm going Dublin to birmingham, I booked it about a month ago, wanted to make sure I got afternoon flights! got flights for 104€ (return Thursday)

    Trains from birmingham to cheltenham are available to book now! 23£ return per day for a 45min journey!!! Ill Neva complain about the train prices in Ireland again...


  • #77
    mdwexford
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,293 ✭✭✭✭mdwexford


    Best Christmas present ever.

    87b4f3163d8098da970e5ff833fa9b34_zps0ddade64.jpg


  • #78
    BumperD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭BumperD


    Looks like you have 2 spare ones to trade to get the full set :)

    Got my full set delivered last week. Like holding one of willy Wonka's golden tickets


  • #79
    Moon Dice
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 191 ✭✭Moon Dice


    First year going myself. Im in college in swansea so no need for flights. Accommodation is soo expensive.
    Great tips in here


  • #80
    Edwardguire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 ✭Edwardguire


    Moon Dice wrote: »
    First year going myself. Im in college in swansea so no need for flights. Accommodation is soo expensive.
    Great tips in here

    If your travelling alone the best option is to stay in birmingham an get the train.. That's what I'm doing


  • #81
    artanevilla
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭artanevilla


    Just booked flights to Brum for 20 quid. Over Monday morning, back Tuesday night. Only the one day but 20 quid can't go wrong!


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  • #82
    finbarrk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    Edwardguire wrote: »
    If your travelling alone the best option is to stay in birmingham an get the train.. That's what I'm doing

    But the craic is in Cheltenham. A bit like going up to the All Ireland and staying in Kildare.


  • #83
    brandon_flowers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,657 ✭✭✭brandon_flowers


    Just booked Aintree for the 3 days of the National meeting. 10 of us going so we'll have good craic. Must start putting away the fifties now.


  • #84
    boysinblack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭boysinblack


    Thinking of going over for the tuesday to see the fly and quevega.

    Try to figure out the cheapest way of doing it?

    Is ferry and driving an option?

    Are the club tickets worth getting? Whats the difference?


  • #85
    artanevilla
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭artanevilla


    boysinblack wrote: »
    Thinking of going over for the tuesday to see the fly and quevega.

    Try to figure out the cheapest way of doing it?

    Is ferry and driving an option?

    Are the club tickets worth getting? Whats the difference?

    I'm going over on Monday morning with Ryanair, staying in Birmingham that night, going to the Tuesday, then flying home that night. Flights were 20 blips, dunno if you can still get that though. Be getting the train down and back, only takes about 50 mins. Hotel will be about 50 blips.

    And defiantly get the Club tickets, gives you access to all areas, main stand most importantly. Wouldn't bother going without them.


  • #86
    BumperD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,681 ✭✭✭BumperD


    boysinblack wrote: »
    Thinking of going over for the tuesday to see the fly and quevega.

    Try to figure out the cheapest way of doing it?

    Is ferry and driving an option?

    Are the club tickets worth getting? Whats the difference?

    Fly. Ferry is long and will get cancelled if the seas are high, driving you'd be knackered....- avoid. Grab the train or cab from Birmingham, Bristol airport, loads of connections and you will arrive good and rested.

    Club pricey but worth it.


  • #87
    finbarrk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    boysinblack wrote: »
    Thinking of going over for the tuesday to see the fly and quevega.

    Try to figure out the cheapest way of doing it?

    Is ferry and driving an option?

    Are the club tickets worth getting? Whats the difference?

    Depends on how much neck you have re the Club tickets. I only ever buy Tatts but always get in and out of there. Just go in after a race finishes if you can't manage it outside of that.


  • #88
    boysinblack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭boysinblack


    Cheers for the advice lads. Going to go with the flying to Birmingham option.

    Be great to get over the tuesday and see a bit of history hopefully with quevega.

    Now to find someone to tag along with me!


  • #89
    longshotvalue
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,474 ✭✭✭longshotvalue


    Anyone booking by Boat there is a 20% discount code at the moment, i just booked by return mon-sat of the festival for 266..

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057116878


  • #90
    Bump n Run
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3 ✭Bump n Run


    I'm a festival virgin but have my flights to Birmingham booked, and Travel Lodge in Worcester, car rental etc... But am unsure which tickets to buy? Tattersalls or Club? Don't fancy Best Mate as won't have access to parade ring and winners enclosure..


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  • #91
    Volvic12
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 322 ✭✭Volvic12


    Bump n Run wrote: »
    I'm a festival virgin but have my flights to Birmingham booked, and Travel Lodge in Worcester, car rental etc... But am unsure which tickets to buy? Tattersalls or Club? Don't fancy Best Mate as won't have access to parade ring and winners enclosure..

    How long are you going for and what days?
    I would definitely go to the Club one of the days as it's just that little bit better. Also, if it's Friday, I would definitely go Club as the place is so busy. Tattersalls tickets are good aswell though so if cost is an issue, they will be the finest!

    People will also recommend just buying Tattersalls tickets and walking into Club section. It's fairly easy alright to get in without badge but if you don't want the hassle of "sneaking in" I'd definitely just get the Club.


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