11 March 2008
The World’s Greatest Jump Festival meets head on with racing’s greatest catering operation as over 220,000 racegoers descend on Cheltenham for the four day Festival from 11th – 15th March 2008.

According to Cheltenham’s official caterer Letheby & Christopher, race fans are expected to sink over 300,000 pints of Guinness and lager, munch their way through 50,000 rounds of sandwiches, chomp 25,000 burgers and slurp over 8,000 gallons of tea.

Meanwhile the 41,000 hospitality guests are expected to quaff their way through 18,000 bottles of champagne, 3 tonnes of smoked salmon and 46,000 bread rolls.

Bob Reeves, Managing Director Racing at Letheby & Christopher, said, “The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest catering operation of it kind in the racing world. Our team of 3,500 staff and 246 chefs prepare food from 29 kitchens around the racecourse and serve drinks from 75 public bars – this is a true team effort.”

The Letheby & Christopher relationship with Cheltenham started over 80 years ago when the caterer become the official caterer to the course. It now provides a full food and beverage catering service on both race and non-racedays.

 
Those details in full:

Letheby & Christopher will serve the following during The Cheltenham Festival:
Food                                                     Drink

50,000 rounds of sandwiches              170,000 pints Guinness
25,000 beef burgers                            125,000 pints lager
46,000 bread rolls                               18,000 bottles of champagne
3 tonnes smoked salmon                    8,000 gallons of tea

The longest bar at Cheltenham is the 110 foot long Pavilion Bar in the Best Mate enclosure.

During The Festival Letheby & Christopher will prepare meals from 29 temporary fully fitted kitchens.

Letheby & Christopher staff
3,500 Letheby & Christopher staff
246 chefs
14,000 packed lunches for staff

 
For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler     Tel:  01903 883747
Revolution PR   Mob: 07770 647662

11 March 2008

Common sense is invariably the first casualty for punters at The Festival at Cheltenham but the superstitions of the jockeys and trainers racing during the four days are anything but!

According to a survey carried out by Cheltenham’s official caterer Letheby & Christopher, part of leading foodservice caterer Compass Group UK & Ireland, many of the participants stick to tried and trusted rituals and superstitions.

Here are some of them.

Andrew Thornton resolutely refuses to leave the weighing-room first if he is on a fancied runner.

Sam Thomas will always tie his own cap rather than leaving the task to his valet. He carries two whips in his bag but one has never been used.

Richard Johnson tramples brand new racing silks on the floor of the weighing room before wearing them for the first time.

Ruby Walsh - if he sees one magpie on the way to the races will search desperately to spot a second one before he reaches the racecourse.

Mick Fitzgerald used to worry about magpies until he saw two shortly after the start of a big race at Kempton then promptly fell.

Paddy Brennan - if someone rings him on a bad day at the races he will not answer the same caller the following day.

‘Choc’ Thornton is trying to cure himself from the habit of too many superstitions! Like a number of jockeys he salutes mapies and is keen to repeat the same rituals time and again once a horse has won. For The Festival he leaves home promptly at 9 am, reaches the track at 9.30 then walks the course each day listening to his Ipod.

Leading trainer Nicky Henderson owns 250 ties but he never wears a green one as he believes that would bring bad luck.

If he drives under a railway bridge on the way to the races he is always tempted, given the time, to wait until a train has passed overhead before continuing his journey.

If he spots a magpie he will search desperately for another one on the old racing motto which says ‘One for sorrow and two for joy’.

Trainer of Gold Cup favourites, Kauto Star and Denman, Paul Nicholls will be bringing out his lucky shirt for the Gold Cup on Friday. He wore it for the first time when Kauto Star won the Betfair Chase in November 2006 and wore it again during his two victories in the King George VI Chase and on Gold Cup day last year. The shirt also came out for Kauto Star’s second Betfair Chase and for his most recent success at Ascot last month.

For almost twenty years on the big occasions at Cheltenham the elegant French trainer Francois Doumen has worn the same suit and tie that he wore when Nupsala gave him his first major victory in this country in the 1987 King George VI Chase at Kempton. They have now been discarded because they have become too threadbare but he will be back at Cheltenham again this week.

Paul Barber, owner of Gold Cup winner See More Business and joint owner of Denman, has worn the same tie for years when one of his horses is favourite and watches all his runners at Cheltenham from the same spot on the lawn in front of the stands.

Carl Llewellyn says he does not believe in fate or superstition. So if he finds himself getting in a regular habit he immediately breaks it!

And the final word goes to Chris Maude, formerly a jump jockey and now a valet.

He says “When I was riding I never let my valet Shane Clarke tie my cap because the only time he did my horse Indian Tonic fell with me going to the bend in the Coral Welsh National without so much a jumping a fence.

“I relented once at Kempton because I was riding a dodgy horse called Pleasure Shared who was likely to fall whatever I did. Shane tied my cap and sure enough we hit the deck early in the race!

“Mark Richards, now a commentator in Hong Kong, also felt Shane was an unlucky influence. He relented on his last ride as a jockey at Nottingham, let Shane tie his cap, and his mount promptly ran out.

“Shane now works for me in the weighing-room but Jimmy McCarthy will not allow him to tie his cap!”

For further information please contact:
Rod Kohler     Tel:  01903 883747
Revolution PR   Mob: 07770 647662

1 March 08

Get all the inside Festival tips from those in the know at The Official Festival Preview night, brought to you by Paddy Power on Friday 7 March 2008, at Cheltenham Racecourse

The legendary Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner and this year’s line-up includes top jockey Mick Fitzgerald, leading trainer Alan King, The Racing Post’s Pricewise – Tom Segal, plus Channel 4 Racing’s Mike Cattermole at Cheltenham’s Official Festival Preview.

The Preview will feature informed opinions, inside news and tips.  All the key Festival races will be previewed, in what will be a lively and entertaining evening for everyone.

For further information on the Official Festival Preview and to purchase tickets please visit www.ctcrc.co.uk  Advance tickets are only £15 if purchased before 29.2.08 then £20 on the door.

For further information:  
Rod Kohler, Revolution PR Tel: 01903 883 747