White flag raised and punters poised as 100th Cheltenham gets under way

UP TO 6,000 Irish racing fans are expected to descend on Cheltenham today as racing’s elite contenders get set to do battle while punters and the bookmakers go head to head.

This year the prestigious festival marks 100 years and bookies will be hoping the extra centenary celebrations will boost spending both on and off the course.

The outcome of today’s Champion Hurdle could well set the tone for the week.

Hurricane Fly, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh, will be carrying a lot of Irish money in the race since the defection of JP McManus’s favourite Binocular. A win for Mullins may pain the bookies but it would give rise to much celebration in O’Neill’s bar in Cheltenham.

Tomorrow is ladies day and Colm Murphy’s Big Zeb will be carrying Irish hopes as he bids to defend his title in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

On Thursday, St Patrick’s Day, there’ll be craic all round the course with live music and dancing, a special St Patrick’s Day parade, Irish fashion awards and seven races to keep the pulse going.

Friday is Gold Cup day, which will see three previous winners competing for racing’s blue riband – Imperial Commander and the Paul Nicholls pair of Kauto Star and Denman. Imperial Commander was accused of gate-crashing the contest between the latter duo last year only to leave the field toiling in his wake.

A number of others also have chances in this year’s renewal not least the following: Long Run, owned by Robert Waley-Cohen and ridden by his son and top amateur Sam, was a stunning winner of the King George VI Chase; Midnight Chase has won three from three at Cheltenham this season, while Noel Meade’s Pandorama and Kempes from the Willie Mullins yard have attracted a lot of support on this side of the Irish Sea.

“All roads lead to Cheltenham,” Paddy Power spokesman Ken Robertson said yesterday.

He said keen racegoers would have been planning their trips for months and “seeking permission” from partners since Christmas to travel.

Ferries across the Irish Sea have reported seasonal increases in bookings with Aer Lingus and Ryanair putting on extra flights.

Ryanair was particularly enthusiastic about the numbers travelling to the Cotswolds. The airline estimated the number of Irish punters travelling could be as high as 10,000. Michael O’Leary’s firm sponsors the Ryanair Chase which has increased the prize money from £250,000 to £260,000 this year to make it one of the most valuable races of the festival. Spokesman Stephen McNamara said bookings to Birmingham, Bristol and East Midlands were ahead of last year.