Mug's game

Back to the minor leagues after pummelling by bookies

IT ONLY takes a few hours for bookmakers to kick the smugness out of you. Like many punters I enjoyed a fruitful opening day at the festival - when you’re as inherently cocky as me, you start to refer to Cheltenham as ‘The Festival’ - and was expecting a similar reward going into round two.

Unfortunately Cheltenham has transpired to be a bit like Ireland over the past few years in microcosm. The fun was going to last forever.