CHELTENHAM Racecourse will open its new, five and a half storey grandstand on Friday, November 13th, on time and on budget. It is the final part of a £45 million redevelopment of the course to be unveiled to the public.

Over the past 19 months, a number of different areas of Cheltenham Racecourse have been redeveloped, with the new stand the centrepiece of the project. The grandstand will provide bars, toilets, restaurants, private boxes and viewing facilities for racegoers.

The ground floor of the grandstand will consist of a public bar, to be called the Vestey Bar after Lord Vestey who was chairman of Cheltenham for 21 years until 2011.

The first floor of the stand provides a new bar for annual members who will have access directly onto their own section of steppings looking on to the racecourse. The remainder of the first floor is to be the Big Buck’s Champagne Bar, named after the horse that won an unprecedented four Ladbrokes World Hurdles and 18 consecutive races, also with direct access onto the viewing steps on the grandstand.

Andy Stewart, owner of Big Buck’s, commented, “The Stewart Family are delighted that the Champagne Bar in the new grandstand at Cheltenham has been named after the legendary Big Buck’s.

“After fluffing the last in the Hennessy in 2008 we reverted to hurdles. The family told Paul Nicholls that he was bonkers to revert to hurdles, but after winning a world record sequence of 18 consecutive races, it appears he wasn't that bonkers."

The second floor of the grandstand consists of an owners and trainers Bar, with a balcony overlooking the parade ring, horsewalk and course and the Cotswolds Club, an area available to those who used to have one of the A+R boxes which were removed to make way for the new stand.

Moving up a floor, the third floor will consist of the Royal Box and 11 private boxes. Finally the top floor will house a new venture for Cheltenham, The Cheltenham Club, where members will be allocated a table for the season, from which to enjoy a four-course, a la carte lunch, stunning views of Cleeve Hill and the Malvern Hills at the back of the stand and even a fireplace to keep warm between races during the winter months. This facility will provide an unrivalled offer of fine dining combined with a stunning sporting setting.

In addition, the back of the paddock TV screen, which was installed as part of the redevelopment will have an additional screen on it, so that races can be viewed from the plaza below the paddock.

Cheltenham’s season starts with a two-day meeting beginning on Friday, October 23rd. For these two days of racing, various areas of the new stand will be in use, including the Vestey Bar, the annual members bar, the owners and trainers Bar and The Cotswolds Club. In addition, the 11 private boxes will be in use as well as the Royal Box.