Taking a Break

The closer we get to Cheltenham, the more it feels like Christmas. If they did Advent Calendars for the Festival, I would buy one! 15 days to go and counting. Every article, every twitter feed, every issue of the Racing Post are Cheltenham focussed. Its great isn’t it?

However, what this does mean is that the racing in this period can be somewhat lacklustre. Most of the big festival entries have now had their final run and will do all of their preparation at home form now until 10th March. It was also the kids half-term holiday last week. The lure of a last minute trip to Paris came into view and we decided to take the kids there for 3 days.

3 Happy days of great Coffee, Croissants, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and my desperate attempts to remember my school boy French. The food and scenery was spectacular, my French, not so much. The trip was booked on the Tuesday night and we were on the Eurostar by the Wednesday afternoon, so there was not much time for anything other than to throw a few clothes in the bags.

At first, I had thought I would bring the laptop and the iPad with me. Follow the racing as much as possible and work in the evenings to keep on top of things. However, this was a break for the kids, my attempts to force some history and culture on to them and most importantly, for them to have a good time. Being stuck in a hotel room waiting for Dad to finish reading the paper or trying to sleep while Dad typed away on the laptop in the evening would not have been fair.

So, the Laptop stayed at home. The iPad was only used to entertain on the train and in the evening. In hindsight, this was the best decision of the trip. Having a break has made such a difference. A few days of not worrying about the Novice Hurdles at Doncaster or the sectional times of the All-Weather handicaps at Southwell were ideal. I hadn’t realised quite how absorbed I had become in Racing. Yes, it is my passion. Yes, I am living the dream by being able to do this. But, taking a break is just as important.

After 5 days off, I feel far more refreshed than before. Sure, I might have missed a winner or 2, but looking at the results whilst was away, I am sure there were equally as many losers too. If I was working in a 9-5 full-time job, then I would expect to take a break and this has to be the same.

15 days to the festival and there is some serious work to be done. Thanks to having a break with the kids, I feel in a far better place to tackle it.