DON’T be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened.
We spend months whipping ourselves up into a frenzy about the ‘Fez’ and then it comes and goes before you can say Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase.
Sometimes the meeting can be a bit of a dud and not live up to expectations, but this one delivered on more levels than a lift in the Shard.
Now, I can come across as a miserable sod at times, but I must admit the emotion of day one still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Constitution Hill was epic and Nicky Henderson was moved to tears by the crowd’s reception – and the blub-ometer went up a few notches after Honeysuckle’s win.
But, as is often the case at these big meetings, some of the juiciest stuff happened off the track.
OFFERS OF THE DAY
William Hill: Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets – CLAIM HERE
Betfair: Bet £10 Get £30 – CLAIM HERE
Paddy Power: Bet £20 and get it back as Cash if it Loses – CLAIM HERE
Coral: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE
William Hill – 18+. Play Safe. When you sign-up via Mobile using promo code N40 and place a bet of £10/€10 or more we will give you 4x £10/€10 free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. begambleaware.org
Betfair – Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly 18+ begambleaware.org
Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org
Coral: Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cash-out, restrictions & T&Cs apply. 18+ T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org
Including when I was complimented on the size of my… car by a parking attendant.
“I must say, it’s such a joy to park a small car, there are so many big ones around these days.”
Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.
The Davy Russell-Michael O’Leary feud is one we should have seen coming and I am truly thankful it's happened.
It provided a great deal of entertainment on Thursday morning when Russell slagged off his old boss on national television.
After O’Leary criticised Russell for coming out of retirement, the jockey hit back: “I’ve about as much respect for Michael O’Leary’s opinion as he has for mine.”
Most read in Horse Racing
Reaction as Galopin powers home to take the Gold Cup in Cheltenham thriller
Idris Elba joins stars at Cheltenham as racegoers celebrate Gold Cup day
Guinness-loving horse that cost £800 tipped for glory at Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Festival punters pile into seedy pop-up strip club near race track
Delicious. I wonder if Davy was allowed on the Ryanair flight home?
It would be great if he continues riding for a couple of months because I’d love this beef to rumble on for a while yet.
Talking of rumbling on, it’s a long old slog if you’re at Cheltenham for all four days.
And it’s even tougher if you’re on the air doing live radio from 6am throughout the week.
So to make sure he made it to the bitter end, top pundit and big racing fan Ally McCoist decided he’d need the odd power-nap.
But the only place he could find to catch 40 winks was the back of TalkSport commentator Rupert Bell’s bashed-up old Skoda.
It’s not all glitz and glamour in the world of showbiz, you know.
Everything is pretty glitzy in the world of Tony Bloom right now, though.
The Brighton owner enjoyed arguably the best Wednesday of his life when his horse Energumene won the Champion Chase before the Seagulls beat big rivals Crystal Palace.
And he won a cool £1.2 million after staking a monster bet on his star racehorse – no doubt the biggest touch of the week. Has he usurped JP McManus as racing's biggest punter?
Meanwhile, I’m told the censors at Weatherbys let a rude name slip through the net.
You might think that the Skelton’s Coral Cup hero Langer Dan has an innocuous enough name, but in Cork, Langer means tosser.
Apparently – and don’t shoot the messenger – the owner playfully named the horse after his trainer. Good bants.
There were some pretty grim moments at the Festival this week, too, most notably ‘pee-gate’ in the press room.
Yours truly noticed a pretty nasty smell gradually building up throughout the first day, and on the second day it had become unbearable.
Turns out there was a leak in the press room bog and everything that was being flushed away was seeping through the walls and onto the carpet.
Read More on The Sun
Coca-Cola makes huge change to another iconic fizzy drink after Lilt
Shoppers love Matalan’s new Spring range – but they all have same complaint
Cue a mass exodus from that particular corner of the room, though thankfully the stinky issue was resolved by a couple of handymen.
So yes, Cheltenham has come and gone for another year, but I'm relieved it's just memories I'm taking home, not a bout of cholera.
FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERECommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
Source: Read Full Article