A New Story

We weren't the only people to go to Cheltenham last Tuesday. Some 200,000 racegoers attend the Festival each year and most of them seemed to be there to see 'Binocular', ridden by A P McCoy, win the Champion Hurdle. And most of the racegoers (Rumbling Nappa excepted) seem to have had money on 'Binocular' - an excellent excuse for another round of Guinness, or Black Velvet, or Winter Pimms ( the Number 3 version which is brandy-based and which is best served with warmed apple juice).

The Irish are fervent supporters of Cheltenham. Indeed you could be forgiven for thinking that you are Punchestown Races in County Kildare rather than enjoying a sunny but breezy afternoon in the Gloucestershire countryside. Jovial, red-faced Paddy's and Seamus's throng the Guinness enclosure smartly turned out in green tweed suits with Elgin checks. They wear stylish trilby hats and (notably) very smart shoes, winklepickers even. An Irish band plays to the crowd and, from above, you can spot behind the main bar an enormous pantechnicon lorry from which barrels of the black stuff are being more or less continuously unloaded.

Official figures suggest that over £500 million is wagered over the four days of the festival and, judging by the exuberant Irish, a good proportion of that must be in euros. There is a competitiveness surrounding the number of Irish winners (against English horses), and huge cheers greet every winner from across the Irish Sea. The cheer was slightly muted however when in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase Michael Hourigan's 'A New Story' from Lisaleen Co. Limerick won at 25-1. This cross country race had been dominated in recent years by trainer Enda Bolger who was saddling five horses for this year's event including the hot favourite 'Garde Champetre', winner of the race for the previous two years. Irish money was very much with Mr Bolger's horses, and very few had bet on 'A New Story'. However in a remarkable turn of fortune the Rumbling Nappa had managed to identify that the "hoss" had a chance and was rewarded by a generous payout on the Tote.