ITV make decision on Cheltenham Festival crowd noise with grandstands deserted

The traditional roar before the first race of the Cheltenham Festival will still be heard on Tuesday – despite the grandstands being deserted.

As the entire country remains in a strict coronavirus lockdown, the four-day spectacle – famed for its incredible atmosphere as 71,000 racegoers cram together to watch elite-level horse racing – will be held behind closed doors.

Also synonymous with the festival is the Cheltenham roar – likened to a jumbo jet overhead – a cry made by the thousands of racing fans on course when the starter raises the tape for the first race.

In 2020, the UK was split along one very clear line: those who watch sport with the artificial crowd noise on and those who prefer the stark, eerie quiet of the near-empty stadium.

And now, for the first time ever, ITV Racing – who will be broadcasting six live races each day – are expected to play crowd noise as a soundtrack to their coverage.

However, it has not yet been decided whether ITV will use the crowd roar ahead of the first race of the three subsequent days.

Ed Chamberlin, who anchors the broadcaster's racing coverage, told the Daily Mail that fans have inundated him with questions on whether or not crowd noise will be used.

"At the moment that is the plan," he affirmed.

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"It is probably the question I have been asked more than any other about the festival – so we are going to give it a whirl.

"The first race roar has become synonymous with the start of the meeting."

An ITV Racing spokesperson told Mirror Racing earlier today: "With no crowds this year, ITV Racing is going to be doing everything they can to create a festival atmosphere for those watching at home.

"The reason behind it is to try and recreate the famous Cheltenham roar as the first race goes off, which always signals the start of the festival each year and all the excitement that goes with it."

To date, ITV has used crowd noise as a backdrop to their racing coverage – instead, leaving the audio to play the gentle hum of horses' hooves hitting the turf during races.

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