Upping the Ante: Saddle up for yet another punishing tour of duty in ’Nam

The bookies hold the aces for the four-day extravaganza that is Cheltenham, but the festival remains the highlight of the year for many punters

"I’ve been to ’Nam,” a weathered man once said on getting off a plane. “Chelte-nham.”

It’s a battering to which many of us can relate. Four days in the middle of March seem to matter more than 361 others in the calendar of punting. If you celebrate your winnings to excess, bet to excess or just do everything to excess, you come out of the week pleading for a long holiday, or at ...