'The changes were successful' - so far so good but Cheltenham admits that further festival improvements are needed

The stands were packed on Gold Cup day but Cheltenham Festival attendances fell once again

Crowds were down again at the Cheltenham Festival Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Guy Lavender said he looked back "with quite a lot of pride" on his first Cheltenham Festival as chief executive officer on Sunday, but admitted further improvements are needed.

Lavender took over in January following a 2024 festival beset by complaints ranging from muddy car parks and high prices to an uncompetitive race programme.

The attendance over the four days showed a further fall to 218,839 last week, more than 11,000 down on 2024. But betting ring turnover was up, while making the National Hunt Chase and Golden Miller Novices' Chase handicaps produced two races which were much more competitive.

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David CarrReporter

Published on 16 March 2025inCheltenham Festival

Last updated 16:50, 16 March 2025

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