SOUL OF SPORT: 260,000 people are expected to attend the Cheltenham Festival this week, with the iconic event set to bring millions of more excitement, fear and ecstasy – ANDY HOOPER captures all the backstory and behind-the-scenes stories in pictures
By Andy Hooper for the Daily Mail
7:19 am Mar 13, 2023, updated 7:19 am Mar 13, 2023
- Each week on a Monday, our Soul of Sport series takes readers behind the scenes at top sporting events
- Andy Hooper traveled to the legendary Cheltenham Racecourse ahead of this year’s festival, which begins on Tuesday
- His photographs capture all facets of the build and help tell the untold stories of the four-day event
Welcome back to the soul of sport. For our third installment in the series, ANDY HOOPER traveled to Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire ahead of this week’s legendary Cheltenham Festival.
During the four-day event, an estimated 260,000 people will come to witness the best horses, jockeys and trainers compete in 28 races. The excitement, fear and high spirits will be felt by millions more viewers from afar in one of the biggest weeks on the British sporting calendar. Ahead of this year’s festival on Tuesday, our man captured all the work required to prepare the venue using a Nikon Z9 camera and 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses.
The calm before the storm at Cheltenham Racecourse – a view of the finish line from the Royal Box in the Princess Royal stand Groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse prepares the hurdles ahead of the festival’s action which begins Tuesday afternoonA shot of the historic Cheltenham steam railway, who will help transport racegoers to the racecourse during the eventNeil Carr (pictured) is the driver of the steam train that will offer racegoers a unique experience when they arriveThe parade ring at the festival is being prepared ahead of Tuesday’s first meeting, with 28 races on Taking place around the world for four daysA take on the Gold Cup – the most prestigious national hunt race of the year – which this year has a highly competitive line-up The area is being prepared and players are expected to snag a significant amount of pints during the four-day event swallow. A behind-the-scenes look at Rachael Blackmore’s pen in the weigh-in room, signed after she won last year’s Gold Cup-back Champion Hurdle Events – Eating grass on Sunday morningA line of horses, ridden by renowned trainer Gordon Elliott, head out for the early morning canter on Sunday A lone horse and jockey on the course early Sunday morning with Cheltenham stands in the background behind another A number of horses trained by Gordon Elliott continue their preparation for Sunday morning’s early morning gallops. Instructor Jon Pullin with his modern stick used to measure ‘gait’ (left hand) and his old fashioned stick (right) trained by Willie Mullins Honeysuckle also early morning gallops with the horse who will retire after this year’s festival should. A shot of more Gordon Elliott-trained horses enforcing their strides at Cheltenham Racecourse at dawn on SundayMan State – another Willie Mullins-trained horse – uses the sand bath before practicing at the canter on Sunday morning at Cheltenham Racecourse with estimates 260,000 people who will attend the event over four days Shows the course and grandstands A picturesque photo of Cheltenham Racecourse at dawn on Sunday morning as the sun rises in the run up to the festival
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