Holidaygoers were seen wearing traditional jockey outfits and downing pints in the sun while the races got under way 1,300 miles north - where the weather is currently 11 degrees and overcast.
Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog of day one at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival as we bring you the latest tips, racecards and results from one of the biggest horse racing events in the calendar.
CHELTENHAM BREAKFAST: Nobody wants to win at Cheltenham more than JP McManus and it will be fascinating to see how many times he hits the bullseye this week.