Cheltenham dress code ditched so punters can rave in jeans with DJ Cuddles

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    Cheltenham is set to turn into a racing rave with revellers in jeans and trainers dancing to techno DJ Cuddles.

    In a bid to lure in a younger crowd horse racing chiefs have ditched the dress code for the four-day festival which starts on Tuesday. That means fans can swap posh suits and frocks for casual gear.

    And it will not just be clothing that may appeal to a new breed of race-goer. The famous 'Cheltenham roar' with which fans traditionally greet the beginning of the first race has been remixed by Cuddles and turned into a dance track.

    READ MORE: Iconic 'Cheltenham Roar' turned into electro house dance hit by DJ Cuddles

    In an unlikely collaboration the DJ – a mainstay on the Brit clubbing scene – has welded the crowd's cheers with the dulcet tones of commentator Ian Bartlett to create a three-minute mash-up called Roar Remix. Techno fans can see Cuddles perform a live set from 3.30pm to 5.30pm in the racecourse's Best Mate Pavilion on Wednesday.

    Cheltenham's boss Ian Renton said: "We've really enjoyed teaming up with DJ Cuddles to create the Roar Remix. It's a dance anthem like no other which takes the famous Cheltenham roar from race track to club track.

    "The roar is widely celebrated among racing fans and now we want to bring this iconic tradition to the masses. We hope it will encourage new audiences to engage with horse racing while celebrating our existing fanbase and the institution that Cheltenham Festival has become."

    But racehorse owner and DJ John Dance, who has a share in Gold Cup contender Bravemansgame (corr), is not so sure the course is onto a winner. I’m kind of speechless,'' he said. "I’m not sure it’s a gap in the market that ever needed filling. I can’t really see myself playing that tune on my summer tour of Ibiza later this year."

    It is not the first time the festival has produced a music track. In 2010 racing legends Sir Anthony McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald, John McCririck, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls saddled up for a charity cover of the Petula Clark hit Downtown.

    Top racing tipster Robbie Wilders (corr) said Cuddles' anthem was an 'electronic mash-up that none of us saw coming'. "Roar Remix appeals as the type of track you would anticipate hearing under the influence of alcohol inside a pitch black nightclub and combines elements of garage, house and techno," he said.

    "It is sure to resonate better with the younger racing fan than the seasoned punter and, with the Jockey Club's backing, might feature prominently on Cheltenham Festival afterparty tracklists next week. Few commentators are better suited to being sampled than the indomitable Bartlett and the Jockey Club must be applauded for this collaboration in an attempt to capture the imagination of embryonic festival followers." The move is part of a campaign by the Jockey Club to shake off racing's old-fashioned image.

    Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale (corr), 49, a Cambridge-educated ex-accountant, said: "I want to lead change that makes this sport more accessible for viewers and breaks down some of the perceptions that people have about it." The Jockey Club has joined forces with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation to get 14 to 24-year-olds from all backgrounds to visit its courses. It has produced Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat videos showing a day in the life of jockeys.

    "Children and teenagers considering careers might not have considered racing, but this gives them the chance," Nevin said. "We need to showcase racing as a vibrant, exhilarating sport and a thrilling day out. And you can get closer to the action than in probably any other sport." The festival pumps £274 million to the local economy. Last year's record 280,627 attendance will not be beaten this year as bosses have capped the daily capacity at 68,500 to improve the 'racegoer experience and flow of people around the course', a Cheltenham spokesman said.

    Among a host of famous faces likely to attend are the Queen Consort, Princess Royal, Zara and Mike Tindall, Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster, Ronan Keating, Carol Vorderman, Eamonn Holmes, Mary Berry, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Anderson, Peter Crouch and comedian Lee Mack. Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson owns one of the favourites for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in Protektorat (corr).

    Ex-Spurs' manager Harry Redknapp, The Grand Tour presenter Richard Hammond, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary ex-Barclays' chief Rich Ricci also have runners over the 28 races which offer more than £4.8million in prize money – £625,000 for Friday's Gold Cup.
    Racegoers will munch and sup their way through 45,000 bread rolls, 45,000 afternoon teas, 8,000 gallons of tea and coffee, nine tons of potatoes, five tons of salmon and five tons of cheese served at 16 on-course restaurants and 72 mobile catering units.
    Nearly 6,000 staff will be ferried in daily by a fleet of 50 coaches from as far away as London and Swansea.

    Despite the cost of living crisis, one in 10 Brits plan to wager more this year than last – particularly 18 to 24-year-olds, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Online Betting Guide. Nicola McGeady, of bookmaker Ladbrokes, said it was the 'biggest betting week of the year'. "The Cheltenham Festival is nothing short of a battleground,'' she said. "Punters will look to beat the bookies. With a wide-open week of terrific racing on the cards this year’s festival has all the ingredients to be the best yet."

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