Punters champing at the bit for bumper race days

AN AFTERNOON off, money in the pocket and a thirst worked up by tramping aimlessly around town for a few hours. Now where would the bored Irish racing fan go?

The art galleries and museums of Cheltenham may be fascinating in themselves, but they remained largely untroubled by the hordes of people who were left kicking their heels following yesterday morning’s shock announcement that racing for the day was cancelled.

As the thousands sat down to their breakfasts in hotels, B&Bs and shacks around the Gloucestershire town, many revealed a deep well of cynicism and a worrying level of distrust in their fellow human beings.