Cheltenham Festival could be RUINED – well, sort of.
That’s because there’s ‘genuine concern’ that there could be a Guinness shortage going into the event.
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The drink has been a big hit for those attending Cheltenham and more than 265,000 pints of Guinness were consumed during the four-day event last year.
That’s enough to fill three Olympic swimming pools.
With reports of pubs being rationed and some running out completely at the end of 2024, there’s real concern that Cheltenham could be impacted.
A spokesperson for the Licensed Vintners Association told the Racing Post: “The surge in Guinness’ popularity has been phenomenal, but it’s placing immense pressure on breweries, distributors, and pubs.
“With the Cheltenham Festival just weeks after the January race meet, there’s genuine concern that availability could be severely impacted, especially if consumption trends continue.”
But if you’re going to the festival, don’t be too worried.
The Sun has reported that certain key events are ring-fenced by suppliers to ensure that there’s always enough Guinness provided.
Thankfully, Cheltenham is one of them.
That means that the Guinness Village – a favourite drinking spot of talkSPORT host Alan Brazil – shouldn’t be running dry this year.
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They will, however, need to fork out a hefty £7.80 for a pint of the black stuff – a 30p increase in 2024 prices.
Cheltenham is regarded as the pinnacle of the jump racing season, with the March start date approaching fast.
The festival begins on Tuesday, March 11th, with Gold Cup day set for Friday as usual.
Paul Townend has won the previous two on the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs.
All being well, the trio will be aiming to make it three wins in a row – the last horse to achieve that feat was Best Mate in 2004.
The prize money for the race is £625,000, with £351,687 going to the winner.
