A video of a huge fight that broke out amongst racegoers of day one of the Cheltenham Festival went viral and the racecourse have issued a statement as police became involved
Cheltenham racecourse have released a statement on the huge brawl that broke out on day one of the Festival.
Video showing dozens of punters scrapping in one of the bars went viral on Tuesday. In shocking scenes, several punters were seen throwing punches and throwing each other to the ground with pints glasses being spilled everywhere.
One racegoer looked to have been left dazed as he staggered around after appearing to be punched in the head, while others were seen attempting to step in and try to calm the carnage that had taken over the room with TV screens showing one of the races.
Despite the epic scale of the fighting, police at the racecourse did not make any arrests.
Racecourse chiefs move to make it clear they remain committed to making the Cheltenham Festival a “safe and enjoyable experience for all” in the wake of footage of the barroom brawl appearing all over social media.
A spokesperson for Cheltenham Racecourse said: “Our focus is always on providing safe and enjoyable experiences for all our racegoers and we operate a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any form of antisocial behaviour.
“There was an isolated incident yesterday involving a small number of racegoers which was dealt with quickly by our security team on site. Police based at the racecourse attended but no arrests were made.
“Millions of people enjoy a day at the races every year while behaving perfectly safely and responsibly.”
It is unknown what sparked the wild scenes which kicked-off as the 3.20pm Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase took place.
Johnnywho ultimately ran out victorious in the race, with Richie McLernon riding Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s horse to glory over 3m1f. Jagwar – a 3/1 favourite – was second past the post, while Quebecois finished third.
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Speaking after the win, McLernon said: “I travelled nicely through the race, thought the ground was a little quick. Everything just unfolded for me; jumped when I needed him to and he answered every call. So absolutely thrilled.”
AJ O’Neill added: “Absolutely fantastic. Richie gave him a great ride and he was in the right place all the time. Just great to see it all work out.”