'I feel for the people who earn a decent wage but still can't afford it' - Cheltenham racegoers have their say on the festival

Attendances have been down at the Cheltenham Festival this week, with the cost of tickets, competitiveness of racing and the state of the car park among issues debated widely on social media. Our reporters on the ground spoke to racegoers on the final day of the meeting to get their thoughts on the week.

Andy Faulkner, Birmingham
It's been a good week but I've come a day less than I usually do. I normally do the Tuesday and Friday but when Constitution Hill came out I thought I'd miss it. I do think from a punter's perspective there's just too many Willie Mullins-trained horses – he started the week off with half the field. I don't know what can be done about it but it does make a difference.

Paddy Kelly, Tipperary
Thursday was our first time here and we had a good experience. The crowds weren't as big as we expected because we were able to get around fairly easily. The atmosphere has been great and there were lots of big screens around the track.

Maurice Macken, Birmingham
There's a few things that bug me. The blatant use of drugs was in every toilet that you visit on the premises. Food and drink prices seemed to be the same as last year, overpriced for sure but I'm relieved there were no real increases. The atmosphere at the rails was good, lots of people were being respectful of jockeys which was nice. I'll return because I think Cheltenham can be a special place. The racing for me is just racing, I don't think I have a strong opinion on it being ruined by [the dominance of] Willie Mullins as I enjoy the day out.

Robert McCulloch, Ayr
I've been coming on and off since 1980. I've got to be honest, the three days were the best, without a doubt. It's a lot more expensive but I'll still keep coming, because I love it. I stay in the Premier Inn in the centre of Cheltenham and walk 20 minutes every day, maybe feed the ducks on the way; it's all part of it. I'm not a drinker, I come for the racing. My son will have a drink in the hotel at night. We don't come to drink, we come to watch the racing and have the craic.

Callum Mitchell, Bristol
It has become quite expensive now and it's definitely a bit quieter about. I've been here all week and it is noticeable although the atmosphere is good. It was so busy a few years ago that everyone complained. It's really quiet in town though, you can get a beer quicker than I ever remember.

Chris Organ, Berkhamsted
We come to the Gold Cup every year, my wife and my brother, for about 20 years. The joy of it is that it hasn't changed at all. We do exactly the same thing, we go to the same hotel, the Clarence Court, who look after us very nicely, we always come to the Champagne Bar, we try to get these particular seats. It hasn't changed apart from the facilities, which have been developed. Although this place holds 60,000 people, it doesn't feel like it. It has an intimacy that is up there with the smaller courses. There was a young girl as we were coming in who greeted us with a beaming smile and said, enjoy your day. It's lovely, it really is. I'm a traditionalist, I like to go down and give the bookies my money instead of a faceless app. I don't win as much as I used to. These are big fields and I personally don't back outsiders. The price of everything has gone up, theatre tickets or football. You've got everyone here from the working man to royalty but I can see how some people can't afford it.

Noel Stoddart: has enjoyed the meeting but did raise concerns about the cost

Noel Stoddart, Sevenoaks
I was here on Tuesday and Wednesday and definitely felt the second day wasn't quite so busy. I've thoroughly enjoyed it but I think the quality of the Mullins team has scared off a lot of runners and reduced competition, which isn't great because anyone can bet odds-on winners. This year you've needed to buy a Club enclosure ticket to get a grandstand seat, which has really increased the cost. To get in and have a seat has cost £200 but for Gold Cup day they've added another £40 to that. For two people that's the best part of £500, which is an awful lot of money. The price of drinks is still quite expensive but they've at least kept them the same as last year.

Russell Drake, Hull
We stay about 15 miles out of town on the way to Tewkesbury. We've stayed at the same place for the last 15 years. The biggest factor is the weather, it's definitely got more wet. Global warming has affected the racing, 100 per cent. When it rains, it can be difficult to find cover and they should have more spaces to shelter. Hence we've brought our own ponchos this time. Also some of the fields have got smaller, you don't get as many head-to-head clashes as in the past. It doesn't put me off because you come for the experience of Cheltenham, but it makes the betting more favourite-oriented. Since the change to the four days, you'd be a fool not to follow Mr Mullins but there's always one [that doesn't win]. El Fabiolo cost me five and a half grand in an acca, a lot of money to me. I'd had the first three winners and it all went on to him. That's racing!

Liam Sweeney, Dunstable
For the ordinary working man, it's far too expensive. Before we spent a penny inside the racecourse, I had spent £800 on tickets for three days and two nights staying in a little one-bedroom house near Jackdaws Castle. That's £100 more than we spent last year. I'm lucky because I can afford it but I feel for the people who earn a decent week's wage but still can't afford it. Another thing I want to complain about is the fact you can't use cash to buy anything. You have to use a card to buy a cup of tea. That's ridiculous. I have a cashcard but I don't like to use it. I'm 78 years old and a lot of old people feel the same. The racing has been fine but we've just been in the Centaur and there is someone pumping out pop music. We go in there to read the paper, not to listen to pop music. If you weren't deaf going in, you were certainly deaf coming out.

Read more: 

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