FEATURE WHAT’S TO COME
AND THEY’RE OFF…
Josh Stacey anticipates the magic that is Cheltenham
O ne long, drawn-out summer later, we’ve achieved what at first appeared impossible. I’ve reached the end of my tether, pining for this day to come – sunkissed, fresh and champing at the bit for another season of Jump racing. You’ll struggle to unearth another being who’s spent this long fastening a member’s badge to a jacket, but now it’s ready – beautifully aligned and immaculate.
Excitement is off the scale as entries are released on Monday – a flood of endorphins – along with an immediate resignation that I won’t be sleeping during the coming week. I’ll concede that early – indeed on that Monday evening – as I lie in bed, my mind unwilling to shut down. The house is a hive of activity. Preview podcasts blaring, irons burning and hostile squabbles between housemates about who wins the bumper. There’s no room
for weakness in this war of words – you must go on the offensive and land the first blow. We’re ready. Skipping out of the front door at ferocious fractions. Two hours of continued dispute later, the car reaches Cleeve Hill’s zenith. Silence. Eyes catching glimpses of grandstands from a distance, a fleeting moment of weightlessness – and then the descent begins. Helicopters battling with blimps overhead. A melting pot of
8 Kalendar
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