Cheltenham hopeful of ticket-sale turnaround for festival after three years of decline

Ticket sales for the 2026 festival meeting at Cheltenham are ahead of the levels at the same point 12 months ago and there is growing confidence at the track that attendance will be up at next month’s showpiece meeting after sharp declines over the past three seasons.

This year’s festival, which opens on 10 March, will be the second since Guy Lavender took over as Cheltenham’s chief executive at the start of 2025, but the first at which it should be possible to assess the effect of a range of initiatives to improve the customer experience that have been introduced over the last 15 months.

“Overall we are very positive about where we are for sales at the festival,” Lavender said on Friday, “and there is growth from last year. It’s too early to give definitive numbers and there are a few days to go, but overall we are moving in the right direction.”

Recent changes at the meeting include the reintroduction of a Ladies’ Day on Wednesday, the most poorly attended day in recent seasons, and a relaxation of rules on areas where alcohol can be consumed.

“I think growth is really important,” Lavender said. “I said last year [when attendance again declined] that I didn’t think it was about the numbers, per se. We’ve introduced a number of changes and I think they are making a positive difference on attendance.”

Another area identified as a leading deterrent for potential racegoers was the high cost of overnight accommodation within easy reach of the track, and a partnership with a local travel firm to address the issue has led to significant growth.

“We launched Room To Race ahead of last year’s festival and we’ve seen massive growth this year,” Lavender said. “We’re definitely seeing a shift in accommodation providers wanting to work with us. It’s not perfect and there are still operators charging silly prices but in the round, we are seeing a rebalancing.”

Cheltenham may still be “next month”, until Sunday at least, but the bonus-race season is very much with us and the winner of Saturday’s Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso could earn another £100,000 for connections with a follow-up at the festival.

Eight of the 17 runners hold at least one entry in a festival handicap – and Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’s Spectacularsunrise has no fewer than three – but an obvious exception is Cracking Rhapsody (2.55), the Morebattle winner for the past two seasons.

The two-mile hurdles track at Kelso is Cracking Rhapsody’s happy place, and Ewan Whillans’s gelding has form figures of 2-1-1-1-1 over course and distance.

Saturday’s race has clearly been his target for the last 12 months, and while Cracking Rhapsody’s three starts so far this season have been underwhelming, the return to Kelso, off a mark just 4lb higher than in 2025, should see significant improvement on that form.

Kelso 1.10: Doyen Du Bar travelled best for a long way over further last time and this drop back in trip could be a winning move.

Doncaster 1.25: All eight go to post with a chance but twice-raced Coolanna may have most scope for progress and this step up in trip seems sure to suit.

Kelso 1.40: The classy Protektorat will start at very short odds to beat three inferior rivals.

Doncaster 1.55: Mighty Bandit’s career has taken a positive turn over fences and he looks poised to follow up his recent win over track and trip.

Kelso 2.15: Lord Byron, the only juvenile, gets nearly a stone from his rivals and his form behind Maestro Conti, a leading Triumph Hurdle candidate, last time puts him right in the mix.

Doncaster 2.30: Jasmin De Grugy has been given time to get over a heavy fall and still has scope from this mark after just six starts over fences.

Newbury 3.15: Joe Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen has a string of good efforts in similar contests to his name and is the percentage call against some younger rivals with questions to answer.

Kelso 3.30: Lucinda Russell’s yard has endured a difficult winter but recent signs are more promising and Bold Light reverts to hurdles on a 3lb lower mark than when successful in this race last year.

Newbury 3.45: The return to the scene of his convincing success in November could prove ideal for Twinjets after a fall at Cheltenham last time.