MAKE SURE YOU’RE AT THE RACES (EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT!)

Youngsters these days have a phrase for it – FOMO, or ‘fear of missing out’. When it’s Cheltenham Festival time, it can be galling to feel that the world and his wife are lined up along the rails cheering on their favourites and as a diehard racing fan you’re the exception, stuck on the sidelines. Well, the good news is that there are some viable Cotswold alternatives that can give you a taste of the action without either breaking the bank or consuming too much of your day. Check out our CotswoldXL hot favourites.

Steeped as we are in horse racing culture and tradition, when the Festival kicks in from March 10^th to the 13^th, the entire Cotswolds comes alive as thousands of visitors from all corner of the globe (although, in truth mostly from Ireland!) flock to the premium jump-racing event of the year, culminating in the iconic Gold Cup on the final day. However, if you love racing but find yourself denied the chance to attend through family or work commitments, you can still dip in to soak up the atmosphere in one of the local hostelries that join in the fun, often showing the action live onscreen.

Follow all the action in the perfect pubs

Among the pubs in the Cotswolds famed for their links to the festival, few can match the racing heritage of The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power. Just 25 minutes from Cheltenham Racecourse, this delightful country pub will be buzzing throughout the week of the festival and will be the ideal spot to check out the action while nursing a pint in comfort. Nestled as it is just a few miles from the headquarters of such illustrious trainers as Nigel Twiston Davies and Fergal O’Brien, visitors can be guaranteed knowledgeable company among the punters! They round off the week with a special Gold Cup Gala Lunch on March 13^th- see their website for details.

The Plough Inn at Ford is another Cotswold hostelry that’s inextricably linked to horseracing. Recently voted Cotswold Pub of the Year in the Cotswolds Awards of 2025, it has also won multiple awards for its association with racing, including as Racing Pub of the Year in 2008 and Channel 4’s Racing Pub of the Year in 2013. Just across the road from Irish trainer and former jockey Jonjo O’Neill’s Jackdaw’s Castle stables, there will be few better places to enjoy the festival atmosphere without the crowds and queues.

Get the inside track

Of course, Cheltenham Racecourse run their own celebrated preview evening. This year’s takes place in The Centaur at the course on Thursday, March 5^th. The panel features a stellar line up including Sir A P McCoy, retired Irish jockey Barry Geraghty, broadcasters Jane Mangan and Leonna Mayor and 2025 Gold Cup winning trainer Gavin Cromwell.

A great way to get the inside track and do your bit for charity could be by attending a fundraising event on Tuesday, March 3^rd which is being organised in aid of Cheltenham’s St Richard’s Hospice. To be held at Worcestershire County Cricket Ground, a two-course dinner will precede a panel led by former Champion Jump Jockey, Alcester’s Harry Skelton, and who will share insights, tips and predictions ahead of the festival. And all for a good cause!

So, there’s no need to be left behind by the pack, there are more than enough wonderful local opportunities to sample the unrivalled spirit of the Cheltenham Festival and that you can fit into your own timetable. Trot along and see for yourself….. 

MAKE SURE YOU’RE AT THE RACES (EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT!)

Youngsters these days have a phrase for it – FOMO, or ‘fear of missing out’. When it’s Cheltenham Festival time, it can be galling to feel that the world and his wife are lined up along the rails cheering on their favourites and as a diehard racing fan you’re the exception, stuck on the sidelines. Well, the good news is that there are some viable Cotswold alternatives that can give you a taste of the action without either breaking the bank or consuming too much of your day. Check out our CotswoldXL hot favourites.

Steeped as we are in horse racing culture and tradition, when the Festival kicks in from March 10^th to the 13^th, the entire Cotswolds comes alive as thousands of visitors from all corner of the globe (although, in truth mostly from Ireland!) flock to the premium jump-racing event of the year, culminating in the iconic Gold Cup on the final day. However, if you love racing but find yourself denied the chance to attend through family or work commitments, you can still dip in to soak up the atmosphere in one of the local hostelries that join in the fun, often showing the action live onscreen.

Follow all the action in the perfect pubs

Among the pubs in the Cotswolds famed for their links to the festival, few can match the racing heritage of The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power. Just 25 minutes from Cheltenham Racecourse, this delightful country pub will be buzzing throughout the week of the festival and will be the ideal spot to check out the action while nursing a pint in comfort. Nestled as it is just a few miles from the headquarters of such illustrious trainers as Nigel Twiston Davies and Fergal O’Brien, visitors can be guaranteed knowledgeable company among the punters! They round off the week with a special Gold Cup Gala Lunch on March 13^th- see their website for details.

The Plough Inn at Ford is another Cotswold hostelry that’s inextricably linked to horseracing. Recently voted Cotswold Pub of the Year in the Cotswolds Awards of 2025, it has also won multiple awards for its association with racing, including as Racing Pub of the Year in 2008 and Channel 4’s Racing Pub of the Year in 2013. Just across the road from Irish trainer and former jockey Jonjo O’Neill’s Jackdaw’s Castle stables, there will be few better places to enjoy the festival atmosphere without the crowds and queues.

Get the inside track

Of course, Cheltenham Racecourse run their own celebrated preview evening. This year’s takes place in The Centaur at the course on Thursday, March 5^th. The panel features a stellar line up including Sir A P McCoy, retired Irish jockey Barry Geraghty, broadcasters Jane Mangan and Leonna Mayor and 2025 Gold Cup winning trainer Gavin Cromwell.

A great way to get the inside track and do your bit for charity could be by attending a fundraising event on Tuesday, March 3^rd which is being organised in aid of Cheltenham’s St Richard’s Hospice. To be held at Worcestershire County Cricket Ground, a two-course dinner will precede a panel led by former Champion Jump Jockey, Alcester’s Harry Skelton, and who will share insights, tips and predictions ahead of the festival. And all for a good cause!

So, there’s no need to be left behind by the pack, there are more than enough wonderful local opportunities to sample the unrivalled spirit of the Cheltenham Festival and that you can fit into your own timetable. Trot along and see for yourself….. 

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