As you steer the car into it's allocated parking spot to the dying throes of Last Christmas you know Cheltenham have gone all festive.
The artist formerly know as the December Meeting is now the Christmas Meeting. And everyone is involved.
The Got2Sing choir perform seasonal favourites throughout the day, starting with an 11am slot in the parade ring. Think the Glastonbury Legends berth and you’re nearly there and they did indeed invite a legend to sing along.
Brough Scott, antlers and all, joined in a rousing rendition of Oh Holy Night but sadly the choreographer had failed to properly brief him on when to sway – and in what direction. Had he been Wally he’d have been very easy to spot even in the midst of massed ranks of antlers.
The grapevine revealed Father Christmas was caught in traffic and with the reindeers resting up for the big day, had to sit and suffer. When your abs are loose and wobbly, the face red and the beard white, that’s the signal to keep a low profile until the real deal arrives.
I hid in the tented village where again if you’re beloved wants a hat with a feather on it to unwrap on the 25th, you were in clover.
Racegoers posed for photos by the Christmas trees, children had pony rides and started to form queues to meet the big fella in Red.
He was here long before the first to take his spot in the Grotto which also included an Elf Workshop.
And if you were in any doubt over who are the hardest working people at this time of the year, the latter were also operating the 'Goodometer'. Woe betide you if that swings the wrong way.
And the racing had a feelgood factor too. The Bowen brothers fought out a dead-heat to the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle trial, Warren Greatrex was back in the Cheltenham winners’ enclosure and so was Jack Jones, who won the race last season. Both left Prestbury Park thinking of the Boodles.
Rebecca Curtis has an upwardly mobile young chaser in Haiti Couleurs who connections arrived on Saturday seeing as a National Hunt Chase project. Option two is now the Brown Advisory.
There was another winner for Wales with another upwardly mobile chaser Libberty Hunter for the very capable and likeable Evan Williams.
I was in the office this week and a colleague was bemoaning the plethora of Nationals that now litter the racing calendar.
We do Gold Cups well too.
Saturday’s was sponsored for the first time by Nyetimber, who I originally feared was a Joe Wicks-vehicle aimed at combating the impeding festive weight-gain. It’s not. They’re the leading English producers of sparkling wines.
Only one man to ask. The Wine Tipster. He’s opposite me in the press room. “Cherie Spriggs is making fantastic wine, the Classic Cuvée is the pick the of the cellar for me.”
There you are. We’re here to serve. Not a glass of that sadly.
But hopefully someone was primed to hand Charlie Deutsch a swig of the bubbly after his win aboard Gemirande in the big race. It’s 100 calories per serving apparently and my he deserves a few.
He weighed 10st 7lb on Friday morning. Here he is, winning the big race, off 10st 2lb.
It was a wonderful front-running performance from the winner, who jumped from fence to fence and found plenty from the back of the last to fend off the strong-travelling favourite Madara.
So keen was Deutsch on his partner’s chance that he swerved a couple of comfortable weights and big chances at Doncaster to shed the pounds and go for Gold. No wonder he punched the air in delight as he crossed the line.
He looks to have a decision make in the next week or so with Venetia Williams confirming both L’Homme Presse and Betfair Chase winner Royal Pagaille to be on target for the King George. The way this team are ticking over right now, they’re entitled to dream the dream.
And I as put down a second mince pie of the day after Jet Blue won the Albert Bartlett for France, it was hard to shake off a feeling of positivity.
When you get to my age it’s much easier to be a glass half-empty person. Certainly safer. But there’s a real danger this National Hunt season is going to get somewhat interesting.
The Williams pair and Grey Dawning in the King George taking on Spillane’s Tower and Corbett’s Cross. David Cottin is hitting the supplement button for Juntos Ganamos too. The same division will serve up round two of Fact To File v Galopin Des Champs in the Savilles over the festive period.
If the younger legs again win the day at Leopardstown, then it’s all up for grabs.
It is among the two-mile hurdle crew as Constitution Hill inches towards a Christmas Hurdle return (yes I know), Sir Gino continues to spend the autumn and winter in the hinterland seeking a direction of travel and Lossiemouth and Sir Gino wait in the Co. Carlow wings.
The two-mile chasers have Mr Reliable Jonbon on song but Energumene’s back, and winning, while the wraps are set to be taken off both El Fabiolo and Gaelic Warrior.
Big horses for the big days ahead.
And as a brass band play us out with a carol or three, it’s time to grab a third mince pie for the drive home. The Glenfarclas Winter Warmer bar looks attractive but not with car keys in the pocket.
No, maybe it’s the time of year, maybe it’s three mince pies, but it feels like we might have a fair bit to look forward to in the weeks and months ahead.
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