There are many people I admire on the Road To Cheltenham, many.
Those who count down the sleeps or days before the great meeting on social media starting at 364, for example. Their dedication to duty at the very least has to be applauded.
Then there are those who place their first ante-post Lucky 15 around Royal Ascot time and follow it up by backing the latest Mullins import who finds himself atop a JCB Triumph Hurdle market that consists of three horses on the same sunny June afternoon.
And what of those who retain their enthusiasm for the preview night circuit, going late into the night while their nearest and dearest are safely tucked up and slumbering soundly miles away. They don’t understand why they still go – but we do.
But the ones I admire, nay envy, are those who have a host of fancies for the Cheltenham handicaps before an entry has been made in anger – let alone a weight published.
And on Tuesday afternoon at 1pm I envied them even more as I had to try and write a few pars on the handicap entries for 2025.
When they’re sent on two separate excel spreadsheets running to over 300 rows each you need help sifting through the sand.
