Somehow, Cheltenham preview nights are still going strong - and here's what's made my ears prick

Cheltenham preview nights remain one of life's great anomalies. They have outlasted Nokia, Neighbours and even Debenhams, somehow staying in fashion when they were supposed to be binned long ago along with bootcut jeans.

The first one arrived in Ireland in 1978 at the Grand Hotel in Fermoy, County Cork. The master of ceremonies for the evening was none other than Ted Walsh, who tells me they were "hanging out of the rafters" to get a glimpse of the panel. Hardly surprising when you hear who was on it.

JP McManus, the legendary owner and punter, was there for starters. Then there was John Francome, a multiple champion jockey in Britain; David Nicholson and Edward O'Grady, the champion trainers in Britain and Ireland; and Mike Dillon of Ladbrokes. It's no wonder they were hanging from the rafters.