‘WHEN are you travelling?” “Where ye flying from?” “Who’s with you?” “Where ye staying?” “What’s the nap?” “How much is yer digs?” “Give me a winner?” “How many will Willie have?” “Any passes?”…

It’s a script, isn’t it! One that is trotted out every year once the page for March is turned in the calendar.

But to be honest, it’s great, it speeds up the heartbeat.

Heading to the Festival still excites me, which is the way it should be and to answer my most favourite question, “what do you like for Cheltenham?”, my answer is always the same… “good weather” because I work in a field and this field is the hardest.

Tuesday

Our gorgeous landlady Christine has downsized and her daughter Emily has moved in to our normal house, so this is our first year in her new abode which is still in Charlton Kings, so we know the geography well, with The London Inn being the boys’ watering hole and Berkie and Spike tell me the pint is gone up to £5.40.

My nephew Sean is on duty with me for the four days and after each race we will send the images home for Liam, Jack and Kevin to sort back in the office.

The Cheltenham circus is our busiest week of the year, so I make it a dry one and that’s the problem with getting wiser, you don’t pull out all that well in the mornings after a night on the tiles!

On the pitch today we have three Irish winners with Willie and Padraig ‘Milky Bar’ Roche taking the gold medals.

Lossiemouth is majestic in the Champion Hurdle under Paul Townend, his second Champion Hurdle, owner Rich Ricci, his third Champion Hurdle and it’s Willie’s sixth Champion Hurdle. It’s also a 10th Grade 1 for the mare and brings her career earnings over the one million mark.

Our great Harvest Festival in Listowel gets a boost when Saratoga wins the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle for Mark Walsh, J.P. McManus and Padraig ‘Milky Bar’ Roche having won The Jet, Peggy & Eamonn O´Carroll Memorial Handicap for Aidan O’Brien last September. I hope the crowd in Jets backed him today at a juicy 10/1!

Saratoga is the first leg of a double for owner J.P. McManus celebrating his 75th birthday and Johnnywho brings it up under Cork native Richie McLernon for the Jonjo and A.J. O’Neill team. It’s a fourth festival win for Richie (and first in 12 years), who came back from injury last month and it’s great to see dad Philip and mom Betty here to cheer him on.

Kargese wins the Arkle under Danny Mullins for uncle Willie and owner Kenny Alexander, giving Danny a career 33rd Grade 1 all for Willie and none of them have started favourite! I’m all wrapped up for 7pm and back in the digs, Spike has the grub on the table. The best of steak from McMahon Butchers in Abbeyfeale and all the trimmings. Sure, you wouldn’t get it in Adare Manor.

Wednesday

Five Irish triumphs with three for Willie Mullins, and one each for Gavin Cromwell and Noel Meade make it another memorable day.

King Razko Grey and Kitzbuhel both have the distinction of going off at odds of 11/1 for the Closutton camp, giving Willie an eighth success in both events.

Both sets of owners are smiling after having their star names sidelined to injury during the season. Greg and Audrey Turley with Galopin Des Champs and Joe and Marie Donnelly with State Man and Sir Gino.

Il Etait Temps, having his fourth run at the Festival, finally gets his head in front when winning the Champion Chase for South African owners Craig and Wayne Kieswetter, who are here with a team.

Gavin Cromwell wins back-to-back Cross Country races when Final Orders gives young Wexford jockey Conor Stone-Walsh his maiden Festival success owned by the 10-strong CMD Syndicate from North Dublin and Carlow and he is led in by our auld pal Anna ‘The Guard’ McCardle.

We have a great story in the Champion Bumper when The Mourne Rambler wins for trainer Noel Meade (his seventh Festival win), owner Philip Polly and ridden by six-time Irish flat jockey Colin ‘Baby Mick’ Keane, making him the second flat rider to win at the Festival after Jamie Spencer back in 2002.

It has been a roller coaster few days for Colin, with getting stuck for a few days in Dubai due to the shenanigans out there and getting engaged to long-time girlfriend Kerri Lyons.

Downpatrick native Philip Polly always brings a big team to the races and he is a proud man with mom Kathleen by his side and uncle Colm leading in the winner.

The Polly family go back a long way with Noel, with his dad Brian and uncles William and Colm having had horses like Novello Allegro down the years in Tu Va Stables.

Thursday

If you had a late one last night and missed the breakfast, there are loads of food wagons dotted around the enclosures with plenty of variety for the pallet.

At the Steak Wagon you can get a 6oz Prime Beef Burger for £10.45 or with cheese for £10.95. A tea is £3.30, a Latte £4.25 or a water for £2.60. The Duck Wagon has a wrap for £13 and a duck salad box for £13, while The Asha’s Wagon has a Lamb Seekh Kebab Wrap for £15 or a Keema Loaded Fries for £14 with minerals £3. In the Quevega Bar, a pint of Guinness is £7.50, Pravha Lager is £7.50 and a water £2.60.

Three Irish winners all in Grade 1 races today for three trainers, Gordon Elliott, Joseph O’Brien and Henry de Bromhead.

Home By The Lee is the best story having his fifth run at the Festival in the Stayers having finished 6th, 5th, 3rd and unseating winning rider J.J. Slevin last year, but today at odds of 33/1, he gets his day in the sun for delighted owners and breeders, Sean and Rose O’Driscoll from Cork.

Led in by his loving groom Davina Boyle, it is a sixth Festival success for trainer Joseph O’Brien. Owner Brian Acheson and his Robcour banner win the Ryanair with Heart Wood half an hour after his big two hopes, Bob Olinger and Teahupoo, in the Stayers were beaten. Brian is joined by wife Carmel and kids Rob and Courtney to cheer in the Henry de Bromhead-trained winner with groom Niamh Harding, and it’s a first Grade 1 at the Festival for jockey Darragh O’Keeffe.

Wodhooh has been some horse for owners, The Sundowners Partnership and trainer Gordon Elliott, and wins the Mares Hurdle, making it an 11th career success.

The Sundowners are Ian Murphy, Shane Grant, Paul Leonard, Janet Costello, Paul Palmer, Gary Owens, Cian Foley, Kieran McManus and Brian O’Leary and they bring huge atmosphere and colour to the winner’s enclosure. Led in by groom Holly Peppard, she makes it 42 Festival wins for Gordon and a 12th Festival win for jockey Jack Kennedy.

In the last race, it’s brilliant to see 19-year-old Ballynoe native Shane Cotter, having his first UK ride, make it a winning one aboard Ask Brewster for trainer Cath Williams.

Shane is a past under-21 point-to-point Champion and is joined by mom Cathy and dad James for the photos afterwards.

So, we say goodbye to another Cheltenham Festival I think back to what the great John B Keane preached to us in the dressing room at half time for a Listowel Emmets semi-final one day.

“Now listen lads, I’m not happy with our tackling. We’re hurting them, but they keep getting up.”

That’s Cheltenham for you. You might have won or lost, but you will be back for more.