Harry Fletcher
Mar 15, 2022
appledsign, Instagram
It’s the biggest week of the year for horse racing fans, with the Cheltenham Festival beginning in style today.
The most exciting, and often wallet-busting, few days in the calendar has officially begun as punters all across the world settle in for a week of thrills.
People are making up for lost time, too. A whopping 250,000 fans expected to descend on the event across the week after last year's festival was held behind closed doors because of coronavirus restrictions.
With seven races each day, starting daily at 1:30pm and ending at 5:30pm, there’s an awful lot for them to look forward to.
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If you can’t be there in person, you can watch the action on ITV1 with live coverage of the first five races of each day.
The biggest week in racing starts todayGetty Images
As ever, there’ll be plenty of ecstasy and agony this year as punters look to back the winners across the week – and social media is already beside itself with excitement.
These are some of the best memes so far as Cheltenham Festival kicks off.
Cheltenham here we come . . .\n\n#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/bUPKqLpCSz— Stephen R Power (@Stephen R Power) 1647207820
Day one of #CheltenhamFestival. The week ahead as told by Ian Beale.pic.twitter.com/7WWKiRAVy9— Kieran Doody (@Kieran Doody) 1647322951
Girlfriend: Are you seriously going to sit there and gamble on horses all week \n\nMe: \n\n#CheltenhamFestivalpic.twitter.com/SyKB4EKSBW— Stephen R Power (@Stephen R Power) 1647291240
My money is on this one to fall #CheltenhamFestivalpic.twitter.com/rNMeasgwvl— \ud83c\udf40Kitty\ud83c\udf40 (@\ud83c\udf40Kitty\ud83c\udf40) 1647333192
#CheltenhamFestival \n\nCan I have an overdraft?\n\nThe bank:https://twitter.com/NoContextHearn/status/1500581078343589890\u00a0\u2026— BW (@BW) 1647333598
Girlfriend: Miss Cheltenham for me \n\nMe: \n\n#CheltenhamFestivalpic.twitter.com/FpqxeXYk6j— Stephen R Power (@Stephen R Power) 1647182004
When your 50000/1 acca doesn't come in tomorrow at Cheltenhampic.twitter.com/bwoZJTEmYt— Blair MacKay (@Blair MacKay) 1647278345
Me trying to back a winner at Cheltenhampic.twitter.com/JV2OAzezqq— Atko (@Atko) 1647157752
AP McCoy and Clare Balding getting ready for the start of the Cheltenham Festival.pic.twitter.com/6E213jjech— lals (@lals) 1647164559
Asterion Forlonge down Cheltenham High Street after he inevitably unseats in the Gold Cuppic.twitter.com/cTXEY7qR9z— Jay (@Jay) 1647288342
Trying to decide wether to pick horses on my own or find someone on here who knows what they\u2019re talking about for Cheltenhampic.twitter.com/oo4DIBcoOt— Will (@Will) 1647201711
Cheltenham weekgonna be me in the break room every daypic.twitter.com/dTxHV99OoS— SJA\ud83d\udd7a (@SJA\ud83d\udd7a) 1647201287
Good morning, Cheltenham.pic.twitter.com/gTLE5E657J— BGP Capital (@BGP Capital) 1647325956
500 horses will run at Cheltenham next week. 28 will win. My bets will be placed on some of the other 472.— Charlie (@Charlie) 1646842261
Cheltenham week pic.twitter.com/rcW5vyGK22— Ois\u00edn Hassan (@Ois\u00edn Hassan) 1647337666
The 2022 Cheltenham Festival starts today and ends on Friday, 18 March 2022.
Ruby Walsh Trophy winner Rachael Blackmore is expected to be a headline act once more this year after racking up six victories in 2021, including the Champion Hurdle.
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