Sipping from a glass of the finest Pauillac wine, fetching £355 a bottle, Phil Wynn appreciates that he’s got one of the best views of the Cheltenham Festival.
While the masses bear the brunt of the rain and wind 100 feet below, the company director lounges in the waiter-served panoramic restaurant where gin and maple cured trout and a rack of Cotswolds lamb feature among the culinary delights on the menu.
Shielded by clear windows, in the distance diners can make out figures huddled together in the wind-swept stand of the cheapest tickets at the festival: the Best Mate Enclosure.
There, loud music pumps from the DJ set while jeans-wearing revellers stand outside burger vans and beer huts.
The contrasting areas might be a stone’s throw apart, but the difference in price couldn’t be bigger.
This year, organisers rolled back the cost of an early bird ticket for the Best Mate Enclosure to below 2024 prices, to £35. The price of a pint of Guinness was also dropped by 30p.
“It’s a great laugh, an occasion to get together with all the guys and have a bit of fun,” said Mr Wynn, who has paid £1,200-a-head for a table at the restaurant since his company, Zenith Ltd, rebuilt the nearby five-star Ellenborough Park hotel 15 years ago.
His contract manager, Nick Malpus, sat at the end of the table, said “the hairs on his back stood on end” whenever he came through the glass doors of the grandstand, on which the restaurant is located on the fifth floor.
“As a kid from the wrong side of the road, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve been down that side [Best Mate Enclosure], I’ve been in the jungle, it’s just so much more relaxed up here.”
On the upper floors of the grandstand are private boxes, each one with a family or company name on a plaque fixed to the door.
And while such luxury may not be felt across the racecourse, those attending can shell out on other hospitality packages at no fewer than seven other restaurants.
This year, the festival has also opened a ticketed Racing Lounge, where people pay extra for a seated area “tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the big race day crowd”.
Inside, revellers get free tea and coffee, a waiter service and are able to have pictures with the Gold Cup.
Paul Wright, who is with his son Harry, said the offering was a clear sign of a class system at the festival. “Those with the money can spend more to get more, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
Next door is the open-to-all Retreat, new to this year, where people jostle around games like darts for prizes, while self-service beers are poured and a band plays on stage.
Footballer Peter Crouch appeared nearby, handing out 1,000 pints after losing a bet with a well-known betting company. He is followed by an echo of football chants.
Nedina Middleton-Hall and Jo Morgan enjoy a bottle of Prosecco in an iced plastic bag, priced at £46. It’s the first time the drink has been offered at the festival, as organisers bid to cater to all tastes.
Onto the Best Man Enclosure, accessed from the grandstand area by exiting the venue. It’s a different vibe, where the familiar uniform of tweed jackets and hats gives way to cheaper suits, trainers and jeans.
“We used to go over there [the grandstand area] all the time, it’s boring as hell,” said Darren Price. The 50-year-old, dressed in a polo t-shirt and jeans, said: “Everyone thinks they’re special. They think they’ve got money, and most of them ain’t. They all earn £25k a year. It’s funny. I much prefer it over this side.”
As the rain came down, the coloured benches inside the enclosure lay empty, while the packed tent areas resembled a wedding atmosphere, with music, dancing and drinks flowing freely.
Meanwhile, a steady line of men marched by security to a drugs search area outside the gate, where police officers were present.
“It’s a great atmosphere here,” said the friend of one man taken away. “I just hope he gets back in - he’s got my winnings.”
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