The racing is so good at Cheltenham, it is compulsive viewing, whether you have had a bet or not.

I am only a small stakes punter and my most memorable Cheltenham bet was undoubtedly the £20 each-way that I had on Hairy Molly when he won the bumper in 2006 at 33/1 (I got 50/1) for Joe Crowley and Paul Carberry.

I am ashamed to admit that he was chosen not because of hours spent studying his form, his pedigree or his conformation, but rather because Hairy Molly was a family nickname for our daughter Laura who was four at the time.

After a string of losers earlier in the day, the form book had well and truly gone out the window!

This article is taken from The Irish Field Cheltenham Magazine 2023. CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY