Spectators at the Cheltenham Festival this year are expected to drink more than 200,000 pints of Guinness across four days of racing.
The Dublin stout is a popular beverage at the prestigious spring event, with the Diageo brand a prominent partner of the Festival.
For the first time, fans will be able to buy alcohol-free Guinness, including from the first self-serve bar at a racecourse in the United Kingdom.
The 274,000 spectators will be able to purchase pints of the alcoholic version at £7.50, according to The Sun.
St Patrick’s Day this year falls on Gold Cup day, with Friday set to be the most lucrative afternoon for beer-sellers.
The Jockey Club has elected to relax the formal dresscode for the Gloucestershire race course.
“It is a common misconception that a day at the races has always required you to dress in a certain way, regardless of the fixture,” Nevin Truesdale, chief executive at The Jockey Club, said when announcing the change in February. “In fact, even at really high profile days like the Cheltenham Festival, that has simply not been the case and our only recommendation has been to dress appropriately for the weather.
“By taking the decision not to impose dress codes at any of our 15 racecourses we now hope to get rid of any ambiguity or uncertainty and simply let people know that whatever they feel comfortable wearing they’ll be welcome to join us on a raceday.
“For many, clothing is the ultimate expression of individuality and by removing the need to be dressed in a certain way we hope to really demonstrate how inclusive we believe our sport is, as well as being a fantastic and thrilling day out.”
Forecast rain and wind across the four days will force race-goers to ensure they come appropriately equipped with coats and umbrellas.
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