Jolly Allan

"Ruby Ruby Ruby" the crowd cheered as the old silver fox Ruby Walsh won easily on Douvan in the Supreme, the first race on the Cheltenham Festival card this afternoon.

As usual I am supposed to be working but couldn't resist this ring side seat in fond remembrance of my dad Alan, who adored his daily horse racing addiction on Channel 4 (only 20p Yankees though).

This then is his losing horse 'Jolly Allan' (nodding in the sheepskin nose band) ridden by championship jockey AP McCoy, and whom  I bet £2 at 9:1 to win. Sadly, like life, the sentimentality of the gesture failed to live up to the reality, but hey-ho, that's not the point.

My only frustration is that my dad's success as a napster has clearly not been passed on in the genes. Saying that, I did place a bet for him on the morning of his funeral 3 years ago and got the vicar to read out his 'tip' for that afternoons race. Happy to say his horse won that day at least. Divine intervention.