A rare Brit in Ballybrit - but maybe this ode to Galway will tempt more of you

I am far more familiar with Goodwood than Galway but it was Ballybrit rather than the South Downs for me last week to see exactly why the Galway Races is so high up the bucket list for racing enthusiasts. If it is not on yours already, it should be.

Galway has built its reputation offering Ireland's famous 'craic' for seven days, and it serves it up in spades. The festival reaches far beyond the racecourse, in the same way my home town of Cheltenham evolves for those four magical days in March. The feelgood spirit is contagious and the punters simply soak it up, just like the Guinness on offer.

A seven-day meeting should come with a health warning if you are partial to the black stuff but, unlike many racecourses in Britain, it was ridiculously easy to get served and a variety of temporary kiosks added to an already huge bar at the bottom of the grandstand meant no queueing at all.