The 2020 Cheltenham Festival gets underway on 10th March – and we’ve got plenty of excitements planned including some fabulous preview nights.
Taking place at The Crown, The Wheatsheaf, No.131 and The Hollow Bottom in the run-up to Race Week, join us for thrilling panel discussions (and lots of great food) as top jockeys, leading trainers and legendary racing pundits get together to give us the hottest racing tips in town.
Mark the Card at The Crown kicks off our previews on 27th February. Settle down beside a roaring fire at our beautiful Cotswolds country pub in Minchinhampton and enjoy an evening of top tips from jockey Jonathan Burke, son of trainer Liam Burke. Jonathan is no stranger to festival successes – he rode Sizing Granite to win a Grade 1 novice chase for Henry de Bromhead at Aintree in 2015 and also landed thetote.com Galway Plate on Shanahan's Turn for the same trainer. Also, on the panel will be racing journalist and twice National Champion Tipster Steve Jones and Luke Tarr of Star Sports. No need to book so just come on down, prop yourself up at the bar and get the Festival lowdown. Finish the night by tucking into some of the locally-inspired flavours on our menu.
Continue the fun at our 17th-century coaching inn in Northleach with Mark the Card at The Wheatsheaf on 2nd March. Join us for supper or a drink and gear up for a night of great discussion and heated debate over who will take home the penultimate prize, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. We have a superb panel of pundits and tipsters including Nico De Boinville, Gold Cup winner, partner of the superstar Altior and Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey. Steve Jones and Luke Tarr will also be returning, sharing their thoughts ahead of the races.
Our beautiful Georgian townhouse No.131 has always been destination for good times. And The Preview Evening at No.131 on 4th March should not be missed. Book in for a terrific night of tips and discussions plus a mouth-watering three-course meal with a superb wine pairing by Accolade Wines, hosted by our Head Chef Devon Boyce who will take you through some of our top dishes, from classic home-cooked favourites to modern European fare. Panellists will sit down and dine with guests throughout the evening so you can discuss and deliberate the big week ahead with the likes of Festival-winning local trainer Ben Pauling, multiple Festival-winning jockey Tom Scudamore, Steve Jones and Luke Tarr. Tickets are £60 per person.
Mark the Card at the Hollow Bottom on 9th March will round-off our preview nights. And we’ve saved the best for the last here at Gloucestershire’s premier racing pub. Hosted by Star Sports, we have a stellar line-up of panellists: Racing TV presenter and pundit Alex Steedman, Sam Twiston Davies, jockey and son of local trainer Nigel, Carl Llewellyn, two-time Grand National Winning Jockey and Assistant Trainer to Nigel Twiston Davies, Bookmaker and Racing Pundit Gary Wiltshire and retired jockey Ryan Hatch. Tickets are £20 including a free drink and bet. Even better, Star Sports will be donating a £50 Charity bet to each panellist with all money won going to supporting the Injured Jockeys Fund.
