Cheltenham Racecourse is located near Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire, England, in the suburban village of Prestbury. Cheltenham is regarded as the 'Home of National Hunt racing' predominantly because of the four day Cheltenham Festival held in March each year, which featuring the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup. The racecourse itself is located in a natural amphitheatre just below the Cotswold Hills, at Cleeve Hill and can hold 67,500 spectators. The racecourse has three separate courses - the Old Course and the New Course. The New Course has a downhill fence and a longer run-in for steeplechases than the Old Course. Hurdle races over two miles on the New Course also have a slight peculiarity in that most of the hurdles are jumped early on in the race with only two hurdles being jumped in the last seven furlongs. The third course is a cross-country course which is laid out inside the main racecourse. There are three enclosures at Cheltenham, the first being the Sun's Best Mate Enclosure which is directly opposite the main stands. Being so close to the main stands give a great view of the racing, and there are a great choice of foods and betting facilities and bars, while 'cover' bands provide musical entertainment. The Tattersalls Enclosure is extended for the Festival to include the Guinness village to provide extra viewing steps as well as additional bars, bands and other forms of entertainment. The Tattersalls gives access to all the bookmakers in the betting ring, as well as to The Centaur, Paddock and unsaddling enclosure and the Hall of Fame, the Gold Cup and Festival restaurants and the trade stands in the Tented Village. A Club Day badge for The Festival entitles you to use all the facilities within the Tattersalls enclosure. The Centaur, one of the largest auditoria in South-West England holds over one thousand additional seats as well as a big screen to watch all the racing, along with a full range of betting options, food and bars, it also hosts live music after racing at The Festival. Ladies Day is a great day at The Festival and this year is being held on the Thursday of the meeting (March 18th). The Fashion Awards are held throughout the morning during the build up to the first race at 13:30. There will be three winning race-going ladies who will enjoy a package of prizes which include twelve months use of a brand new Alfa Romeo Mito, an overnight stay at The Greenway Hotel in the Cotswolds, twenty-four hour use of an Aston Martin DB9, a tweed coat from the Tweed Collection from Cousins of Cheltenham, and a magnum of rose champagne. The prizes are allocated for three categories: The Best Dressed Lady, The Lady with the Best Hat and The Lady with the Best Accessories. The prizes are presented in the Winners Enclosure before the first race and the charity being supported by Ladies Day 2010 is Cancer Research UK. To enter head to the Fashion Area near the Octagon, between the main Grandstand and the Parade Ring and look for the pink parasol! Have fun at your first Cheltenham Festival, we guarantee it won't be your last!
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