Voy Por Ustedes

If you were unfortunate enough to engage me in conversation anytime between late October and Christmas Day last year, you'll have just about managed to smooth out my phlegm from your hair by now which would have roared it's way towards you from the back of my throat as I screamed my way through a rambling diatribe about how pointless the festive season was and how much of waste of money it is and how people are sheep who can't think for themselves otherwise they wouldn't jeopardise their financial and physical well-being on what is nothing but a bogus obligation. An obligation to spend, spend, spend with nothing to show for it afterwards.

It was only today when Detroit City started wheezing it's way up the Cheltenham hill, the same hill Amaretto Rose an hour and half previously, had negotiated with all the strength and grit of a Dutch hairdresser, that I realised what a hypocrite I had been.

The Cheltenham festival for me and thousands of others, is just another Christmas. It's an opportunity to lose money once a year I might have otherwise invested more wisely elsewhere and I have done it blindly, voluntarily and more often than not been left with nothing but a sense of anger, frustration and wallet filled only with nothing.

A 5/1 shot at Cheltenham is not the same as a 5/1 shot at Southwell or Lingfield. You win and lose the same, but the chances of winning are far better in the less glamorous meetings. But, I do it, cause it's Cheltenham innit. You have to. Sounds familiar.

No. NO! You don't have to. Naughty spending. DOWN! It's just gambling. You don't get more back just cause it's a Champion Hurdle, 5/1 is 5/1 even if I'm betting that Prince Harry's Dad is that James Hewitt fella. No room for sentiment. No room for Cheltenham, that's what I say. Thank god I'm saved. I've seen the light.

So anyway, I apologise. If I insulted you, or spat at you, I'm sorry. There's still no excuse for over spending at Christmas, but clearly I am no better. We should be ashamed of ourselves. We've let our families down, we've let our bank accounts down and most of all, we've let ourselves down.