'People say hotels are being greedy - but it's supply and demand'

Cheltenham is ready. The bookings have been made, thousands of barrels of beer fill cellars and homes have been found for extra chairs and tables as businesses attempt to squeeze customers into every inch of their establishments to maximise revenue.

All that remains are the final touches to ensure the Regency town can deliver the festival everyone has been yearning for, when crowds finally return on Tuesday following a two-year absence.

After last year's meeting in front of empty stands, it feels like we are back to normality. But there is nothing normal about any Cheltenham Festival. An aggregate crowd of 270,000 is expected to cram into the racecourse across the four days, more than double the population of the Gloucestershire town. The final two days are already sold out.