An estimated 70,000 racegoers are expected to flock to Cheltenham Racecourse (pictured) as PM Boris Johnson continues to refuse banning mass gatherings to combat coroanvirus.

SPECIAL REPORT BY KATE MCGREAVY: The Cheltenham Festival is in full swing. But what is all the fuss about? Sportsmail went behind the scenes to find out what makes the annual event so special.

The actress, 45, looked effortlessly chic in a cream coat and pink headband as she cosied up to her banker beau at the races on Thursday, amid rumours they've secretly got engaged.

The TV presenter, 44, oozed glamour as she attended day four of the Cheltenham Festival alongside Victoria Pendleton on Friday.

Saint Roi landed a gamble to continue a superb Festival for connections with a convincing victory in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The Smile singer, 34, looked effortlessly chic in a long tartan trench coat and a pair of black trousers.

The festival has gone ahead despite fears of the deadly virus which has decimated this weekend's Premier League football and international rugby fixtures.

Monkfish was victorious in the Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham after squeezing through on the line in a thrilling race. Latest Exhibition and Fury Road took second and third spot.

Willie Mullins revealed his delight after Al Boum's Gold Cup success saw him win his first four races at Cheltenham Festival on Friday. His incredible feat would've commanded odds of 2179/1.

The reality star, 25, was effortlessly chic in a stylish tartan cape as she watched on the races from the balcony with Ollie, 32.

Zara and Mike Tindall beamed and stood with their arms wrapped around each other as they posed for photos at the start of a final day of fun at the Cheltenham Festival.

The final day of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival - Gold Cup Day - is here. What a week it's been on the track so far. Follow all the live action from the seven races with Sportsmail.

For 30 years Steve Packham has been dreaming of owning a winning horse at Cheltenham, only for the reality to be snatched away from him in a couple of seconds.

Autumn, 41, and Peter Phillips, 44, appeared to be on good terms as they enjoyed the final day of the Cheltenham Festival together - despite announcing their split last month.

Jamie Moore said he was still 'distraught' on Friday after the cruel episode in which he was unseated from Goshen with the Triumph Hurdle in the bag on the last day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Nicky Henderson is formulating a plan to send Champ back to jumping school with former trainer Henrietta Knight ahead of a potential shot at the biggest jumps prizes next season.

The racing event came under criticism at the time for allowing thousands of racegoers to huddle together, risking a spread of the virus. Over 250,000 people attended the Cheltenham Festival.

The Cheltenham Festival may feel like a lifetime ago but here SAM TURNER (Robin Goodfellow) has highlighted six horses which look likely to make an impact at next season's Festival.

Andrew Parker Bowles has revealed he has coronavirus and believes he contracted it at the Cheltenham Festival (pictured, the Duchess of Cornwall's ex-husband with Princess Anne).

The world-famous Cheltenham racing festival in Gloucestershire went ahead last month despite fears over the spread of the virus which was then in its early stages in Britain.

Cheltenham Festival went ahead two weeks before the lockdown, but there was a debate at the time if it should be scrapped after other sporting events were called off.

Retired champion jockey Sir AP McCoy said horse racing had followed UK government advice to go ahead last month with the Cheltenham Festival that saw 250,000 people gather over four days.

It has emerged that Philip Davies and Caroline Nokes received eight tickets between them from sports betting company GVC Holdings, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, for the event.

Racing has faced criticism for staging Cheltenham just before the coronavirus shutdown, but the sport should be 'proud' if it is the first to re-start when restrictions are eased by the Government..

NHS figures show the local hospital trust in Gloucestershire has had 125 patients die from COVID-19, nearly double the amount recorded in Bristol, 58, Swindon, 67, and Bath, 46.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust has recorded 125 deaths from the disease so far, more than double those in nearby Swindon with 67, Bristol on 58 and Bath on 46.

Cheltenham Festival went ahead just 10 days before lockdown measures were introduced by the government and experts want an inquiry to see if it caused a spike in positive tests in Gloucestershire.

67-year-old landlord Alexander Grierson died after contracting coronavirus during the Cheltenham festival. Calls are being made to investigate why the races went ahead.

I am a partner in my family's farming business. We received a cheque for £23,256 for shares in Dairy Crest. But after it was deposited in the business account, Lloyds Bank rejected it.

I had a letter from HSBC saying it had decided to close my beauty salon's business account. I rang the bank and was asked to complete a lengthy online form, which I did as best I could.

Whether you've got a bad credit history or no credit history to speak of at all, you might find you are forced into applying for credit cards with higher interest rates.

I have just started a new job and joined the company pension plan. I'd like to take a more active role but I don't know how to find out what I can and can't do and where I should go from there.

It was a pretty good 2019 for most equity investors, unless you were unlucky enough to be caught up in the Woodford quagmire.

My father bought a house in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1971. Several years ago, a tenant tried to seize ownership by claiming squatter's rights.

I closed my company in March last year. Final corporation tax due stood at £2,232 and I have tried repeatedly to pay this, but now the company is closed, the Revenue just does not accept it.

What a week. As a money commentator for more than 30 years standing, that was as disheartening as times go. But patient, long-term investing will win through in the end.

The UK stock market alone has fallen in value by 30 per cent since the start of the year. But if you hold these trusts for troubled times then things should look better.

I was contacted by Xtraderfx and told that it would transfer my frozen credit balance of £680 to my NatWest credit card. I agreed and gave my card details.

Can your employer force you to take your eight outstanding days of holiday amid the lockdown? Sarah Bridge talks to the experts to get the answers.

Both me and my partner are still working and able to meet our mortgage payments, but we were discussing whether we should ask for a mortgage holiday anyway.

Fans of the BBC hit drama Killing Eve have been thrilled to spot so many filming locations they recognise from suburban London neighbourhoods in the programme.

The Live Lounge recording to support people impacted by Covid-19 sees more than 20 performers cover the Foo Fighters song Times Like These, and was played on the BBC Radio 1 this morning.

It was confirmed by the BBC on Tuesday that the dance competition show would not return,  after it was reported that it had been dropped by the channel following dwindling ratings.

Paul Mescal has revealed what it was like to film full-frontal sex scenes with his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones for their new drama Normal People.

SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Sir Humphrey Burton is to spill the beans in a memoir, including anecdotes about acquaintances like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Bernstein.

The Cold Feet actress, 21, took to Instagram on Thursday to post a collection of photos as she gushed over 'best pals'.

The BBC2 show, which saw Monty Don self-filming footage from his garden, drew an audience of 2.7million on April 24 as the programme was made for the first time by a socially-distanced crew.

Shostakovich's 11th Symphony here receives a performance of exceptional eloquence from the Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic under their chief guest conductor, the Finn John Storgårds.

Don't the older generation realise that the enforced coronavirus lockdown is proof that the elderly are valued, that the nation is trying to protect us and keep us safe, ESTHER RANTZEN, 79, writes.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who won her seat for Nottingham East in December, returned to a home in Nottinghamshire a month ago, pledging to help out in her former role amid the Covid-19 crisis.