All the waiting is over. Cheltenham is here. 12 months in the build up, the best racing week of the year has arrived. All the hours of studying, watching videos, looking at times and form lines have led up to these 4 days.
The eager anticipation waiting for the Supreme to start and the nervous energy building for every punter up and down the land just adds to it all. And then…we are away.
The most important thing to remember, is that it’s a horse race. Yes, it is Cheltenham, but the horse doesn’t know that. Day 1 has been very painful. Elixir D’ainay came down when still in with a chance in the Supreme. Brewinupastorm fell in the Arkle, as did Esprit Du Large. No Comment came down in the Ultima. Knight in Dubai unseated at the 3rd fence and finally, Carefully Selected unseated when beaten in the last. The common denominator here, I backed all of them.
The day could have been worse, places for Discorama, Whatmore and Darver Star kept me above water. More importantly, it’s only day 1. With everything going on in the world, we are lucky to have racing to watch and enjoy. 7 out of 28 races have been run, 21 chances left.
Life as a punter is fantastic. I am so lucky to have the support and opportunity to do this and (try to) make my living from racing. If I couldn’t have a bet, I would still love the festival. The Racing and the Horses are what makes it special. Something that will be important to remember at 5:45pm on Friday when it’s all over and the reality of another year of waiting will begin.
The Novice Punters Diary 