With apologies to Petula Clark and Tony Hatch, I’d like to start this week by singing you my very own version of Downtown:
“When you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go – to Cheltenham,
When you’ve got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help, I know – at Cheltenham;
Just listen to the music of those good old Irish voices
Linger by the paddock, see the horses, make your choices,
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there,
You can forget all your troubles forget all your cares so go to
Cheltenham……..things’ll be great when you’re at
Cheltenham……..no finer place for sure
Cheltenham……..everything’s waiting for you”
Oh yes, dear readers, the Cheltenham Festival… And I’m sure you’ll believe me when I say I lost more than my hat last Friday; I lost my hat, my shoes, my dress and all of my underwear too, not to mention what was left of my dignity…
One minute I was lapping up the corporate hospitality of the lovely Ian Lovatt and Blue Sheep (I managed to sneak into his marquee without anyone noticing); the next thing I remember I was starkers, staggering around the grounds of Cheltenham Ladies College. Hardly the belle of the ball…
Then again, even Claydon Heeley Targetbase’s Chris Martin, whom I have rarely seen even tipsy (yeh, right), admitted to being “completely mullered all afternoon”. The great and good of the DM world were all there… and plenty of the bad ones too.
Mind you, I was pleased to see I wasn’t the only one who was few quid down. SFW’s Ben Stephens spent two days at the Festival – he must have deep pockets – and only managed to rescue the household finances when his missus Lucy picked two Tony McCoy 10-1 winners. Where was their advice when I needed it?
However, it seems his fellow SFW co-founder Chris Whitson didn’t make it. In fact he hasn’t been seen at many events lately on account of the fact he has taken to hanging around with his son and “best mate” Will much more these days. Apparently they have become inseparable ever since Chris walked into his living room and Will exclaimed “Wow, you look cool today, dad!”
Allegedly it was the first time anyone had ever said that to him…
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