It's in fashion to bash Cheltenham - but let me remind you why we fell in love with it in the first place

Michael O'Leary probably put it best. When asked why his entire year is built around the outcome of a few races run on a particular strip of land on the edge of the Cotswolds every March, he replied: "It's as close as fat, old, middle-aged men get to playing in the Premier League."

But it has got to the stage where you are almost terrified of saying those ten letters together for fear of being lambasted. Those ten little letters are ruining the whole jumps season, apparently. The meeting means too much, we talk about it too much, and it goes on for too long.

Giving out about the C-word has never been more in vogue. Too many days, too many races, too expensive for everybody, and too many trainers spoiling the season by tiptoeing their way there with horses who should be running every other week but aren't because of the gala in Gloucestershire.