Irish racing fans are likely to be hit with a dose of Cheltenham Festival fever next week as it's set to be one of the most popular weeks for Irish people to pull a 'sickie' from work.
With a star-studded stable of runners heading over to the English showpiece, it's all pointing towards a successful festival for the Irish.
In fact, Paddy Power are offering odds of 10/1 for there to be 20 or more Ireland trained winners throughout the festival, a wager which would beat the record of 19 set in 2017.
Willie Mullins leads the charge and is 1/5 to be crowned top trainer while Paul Townend is just 1/3 to scoop the title of top jockey.
And they'll team up together with Al Boum Photo, the favourite for the Gold Cup (5/2) on Friday, as they bid to win it for the third time on the spin.
And with a feast of racing on the agenda for punters, next week is 3/1 to be the most popular week in Ireland for people to pull 'sickies' from work as they look to follow all the action.
Spokesperson Paddy Power said; "With lockdown still in full force and many of us working from home, the challenge is going to be dodging the endless Zoom calls next week.
"Time to ring the boss, let them know you're under the weather and get set for the best week of racing all year."
