The calm of the evening.

In the eighties and nineties, when I was still a mug or enthusiastic amateur, and lived in Bristol, I used to attend all three days of the festival. And do all the usual stuff. And at the end of the week I'd work out in horror how much money I'd lost. And then start planning the following year's attendance.

I worked in an office in those years and I'd usually take the week off work, and I can safely say today - the Monday - always used to be one of my favourite days of the year. The beauty of travelling hopefully over the reality of arriving. I'd carefully arrange all my ante post betting vouchers - full though they were of dead runners, non runners, runners in the wrong race, and just hopeless runners. And dream of what was to come.

There was a Tuesday ritual as well. After the Champion Hurdle each year I would offer up all those (now losing) slips to the god of Cleeve Hill.

In the early nineties I once went three whole years without backing a single winner. Not one. Which I think you'll agree is a pretty impressive effort. One year I had three sphincter-tightening bets on one Wednesday (always my favourite day). They all came second. And I had busted a bank it had taken me all year to amass.

I was staying with my brother-in-law in a house on Cleeve Hill above the racecourse, and for two hours I sat in the darkness with a hipflask. Shaking. I then threw my notebook away - the one I'd started in October the year before - the one that contained all six winners of the Sun Alliance by November. I hurled it off the hill towards the track, and vowed there and then that I'd stop betting like a mug and learn how to beat the game.

And here I am nigh on 15 years later. Full-time. Not attending as I need to be here picking the prices; not enjoying a day's holiday and its sweet anticipation; not getting ready to bet like a fool and party like an irishman. Is it worth it? Of course it is!

For what it's worth I think I probably attended during the golden years. The addition of the fourth day was based on greed and has thrown the festival off of its perch as the almost perfectly designed sporting experience.

After the horrors of January and February, this week is looking pretty critical to my year's profits. I already have plenty (too many) vouchers in play. Some races I look to be in a good position - Supreme Novices and the Arkle for example, whereas in others I'm already in a mess (The Royal and Sun Alliance - historically my best race).

On Wednesday last year I had a day to remember. Nicanor was a small winner to set me off, I then collected on two 33/1 vouchers when Star de Mohaison and Newmill won, and followed it up with You're Special at 40/1. Not a day to come around again any time soon. But here's hoping!