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DAVID CARR |
Weblog: What do you mean the Wi-Fi doesn't work? The life of a Racing Post reporter
Happy new year - well for Cheltenham anyway
FUNNY how things in the outside world can pass you by while you are sat inside working.
A charity bag came through the door while I was working this afternoon, accompanied by a note that assured me: "Our collection is carrying on as normal despite the very cold snap. We'll reach you to collect your bags whatever the weather.
"Many thanks and a happy new year."
Doesn't time fly?
Unless they meant the new racing year at Cheltenham, which gets under way tomorrow with my preview leading on the remarkable Buena Vista, who makes his traditional comeback in the Pertemps hurdle qualifier.
He has a namesake who has been horse of the year in Japan for the last two years and has won more than £8million in prize money but I bet the owners of the British version wouldn't swap him.
What price would you put on a horse that has won the last two runnings of the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham festival as well as finishing second in 2009? He has actually run at the festival for seven straight years (But history - and the fact he is without his usual blinkers - suggest that tomorrow may not be his day).
Would have been a shame to sleep right through to the new year as I'd have missed the first Qipco Champions Day at Ascot and let's hope the Queen can make it despite the cold that reportedly caused her to cancel an engagement today.
An attempt to ascertain the chances produced the most gracious no comment I have ever heard. The chap from the Buckingham Palace press office was calm kindness personified as he explained that Saturday's was a private engagement so they could not offer any information on whether she would make it. But thank you very much for calling.
Though I hope it is not treason to point out that using grey writing on a regal purple background on royal.gov.uk makes it extraordinarily difficult to make out phone numbers.
Rest of the day was spent writing the set-up piece for Saturday, enthusing excitedly about the peerless Frankel - that's the best way to get hoo-ha about whip bans, void races and all the other day-to-day sillinesses out of your system.
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