Over 300,000 pints of Guinness and 14,000 bottles of Champagne due to be sunk at Cheltenham this week

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GUINNESS will be a clear favourite at Cheltenham this week — with more than 300,000 pints due to be sunk.

Punters are also set to neck 14,000 bottles of Champagne from 2km of bar space.

More than 300,000 pints of Guinness are set to be consumed at Cheltenham this week[/caption]

Punters are also set to neck 14,000 bottles of Champagne[/caption]

Ten thousand gallons of tea will be served up, plus five tons of cheese.

Almost 250,000 race-goers will attend the four-day Gloucestershire spectacle, culminating in Friday’s Gold Cup.

Regular royal attendees include Queen Camilla, and Zara and Mike Tindall.

Sir Rod Stewart and Sir Alex Ferguson also enjoy the festival, marking its 100th year.

Ian Renton, who runs Cheltenham Racecourse as Managing Director of The Jockey Club, said: “The Cheltenham Festival is the very pinnacle of our sport and Jump racing’s most prestigious event.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming racing fans from across Britain, Ireland and all over the world for what promises to be an enthralling and spectacular four days of action on the track, culminating in Friday’s fascinating Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup which celebrates its centenary this year.”

Friday’s prestigious closing event will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world’s most famous Jumps race, first held in 1924 and now worth £625,000 in total prize money.

To mark the centenary, The Jockey Club announced yesterday it will provide 100,000 opportunities for young people to experience the sport over the next decade.

Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said: “The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup represents the pinnacle of our sport, and its centenary is a milestone moment that we feel honoured to be able to celebrate.

“Our commitment to provide 100,000 opportunities for young people over the next 10 years not only reflects the extent of the Gold Cup’s ability to inspire, but also allows us to look forward and show how we can help power the next 100 years of this historic contest, and continue to grow the appeal of racing as a whole.”