Around €300million is expected to be gambled on the Cheltenham Festival this week as punters prepare for a betting bonanza.
The staggering amount will exchange hands between bookies and racing fans over the course of the four-day meeting, with around €125million of that expected to be gambled by Irish backers.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “Every year the Cheltenham Festival just gets bigger and bigger and this year another staggering amount of money is expected to change hands.
"We came out of last year’s festival fairly unscathed but as we know past performances is no guide to future returns.”
Meanwhile, thirsty Cheltenham racegoers will guzzle down 265,000 pints of Guinness and 120,000 bottles of wine at this year's Festival.
The Gloucestershire track was recently named the dearest racecourse in the UK to buy a pint of the black stuff with one costing £6 (€6.76).
The famous meeting kicks off on Tuesday, with around 10,000 Irish punters set to descend on Prestbury Park.
Those heading to the Cotswolds may wrap up well as the weather forecast is for plenty of rain.
Irish trainers recorded 14 wins from the 28 races in 2019 and are well fancied for more success this year.
Hot favourites such as Envoi Allen, Benie Des Dieux, Tiger Roll and Appreciate It are all expected to go very close for the Emerald Isle, with top handlers including Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry De Bromhead leading the Irish charge.
But Ladbrokes report Lostintranslation winning the Gold Cup would be the worst result of the week for the firm, while wins for Envoi Allen in the Ballymore, Samcro in the Marsh Novices’ Chase, Appreciate It in the Champion Bumper and Goshen in the Triumph Hurdle would also be a "nightmare" for them.
Irish horses are already making their way to Cheltenham, with Gordon Elliott tweeting a photo of a truck leaving his Co Meath yard yesterday afternoon containing his runners for day one.
It will be Ruby Walsh's first Cheltenham as a retired jockey, but top pilots like Paul Townend, Rachael Blackmore and Davy Russell know all about riding winners and will fly the flag for Ireland.
Off the track there's plenty of entertainment taking place, with Laura Whitmore among those djing in 'The Park' - a new area with bars, live music, street food, a ferris wheel and a carousel.
