Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival 16th-19th March 2010 Tuesday 16 March 2010
The Festival produces an atmosphere that is unique. The roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race on Tuesday signals the moment when the 12 month wait is over and Jump racing's favourite fixture is back.
The combination of the huge crowds, the amazing setting and the sense that you are watching history being made produces a sporting cocktail like no other.
During the week, over 200,000 people will experience The Festival in person, many of them travelling significant distances to be here - and across the nation, more than £500 million will be bet on the outcome of the 26 races.
Each of the four days hosts a number of Championship races, with the climax of the Jump racing season coming on Friday in the form of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
