Racegoers enjoyed a heavy night out after a dramatic opening day at the Cheltenham Festival.
Thousands donned their best outfits and descended on Gloucestershire yesterday for four days of racing.
The shock of the day came in the 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle with the loss of overwhelming favourite Constitution Hill.
The 2023 champion fell at the fourth-last hurdle, leaving the door open for 25/1 outsider Golden Ace to take the title.
One punter was so sure of Constitution Hill that they placed a £20,000 bet on the horse to win at odds of 1/2.
It was a big win for the bookies, with virtually no takers seen collecting winnings after the race.
However punters remained in good spirits as they hit the town for a boozy night out following a day of racing.
The pick of today’s races is the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Two women hold each other stable as they depart from the day’s festivities
Two women enjoy warm up their vocal chords with some karaoke after a day of much noise
Celebrations and commiserations continued into the night as one woman held a corona while out on the town
Punters remained in good spirits on the first evening despite many having lost out on bets on Constitution Hill
One punter tries to keep his balance as he enjoys some unwinding following the action
Two racegoers enjoy a late night takeaway outside an M&S following a day of drama
Two men take a minute to mark their territory in the streets in Cheltenham
One punter leans on the entrance of the Marks and Spencer looking slightly worse for wwear
Two racegoers show off their best moves in front of a live band in the town centre
One punter takes his jeans off as he stands in front of some portable toilets surrounded by police
In the spirit of the festival, police were seen on horseback as they kept an eye on the revellers
A group of men deposit some more cash in preparation for another three days of action
Two men in good spirits leaving the festivities after the day of racing concluded
