1800: There you are - day one over. Now the walk into Cheltenham, avoiding those who are now unable to go from a to b in a straight line - and a night out. Only selection to make now the evening meal. Probably get that wrong too. Roll on Wednesday.

1750: Just done the video with Will Hayler. Thankfully he didn't stand sideways and the pain of a last-race exit from the Placepot prevented him from being irreverant.

1735: Well the day ends as it started - with a loser - but it's been another card to savour.

1715: A steady stream of people have started to leave the course. The last promises to be competitive fayre though. Royals Darling is burdoned with my selection but he doesn't look overly concerned heading to post.

1710: The press room at Cheltenham can lay claim to the tag of "best seat in the house". The worst? A group of four women have set up camp on fold-up chairs behind the advertising hoarding next to the last fence on the cross country course. To be fair they do have an unrivalled view of the burger van and tote facilities out there.

1700: I'm sure I'll have worse ideas than going out to the centre of the track before the week is out but not many. Managed to get mud up to my knees on the trousers which will force a costume change for Wednesday. The new grey slacks - which for me screamed Ladbrokes World Hurdle - will now need to be launched 24 hours early.

1600: Still no call. May well drink bitter this evening as a form of protest. Blood sugar levels seem to be recovering as I am now planning to watch the cross country race from the centre of the track. Going to set off now in case I talk myself out of it.

1550: Sat at my desk awaiting a call for my nominations for the Guinness Awards. Getting the increasing feeling that I may not be the key member of the panel as I had been led to believe. Anyway I was going to put up Tony McCoy, Colm Murphy and Ruby Walsh, so there!

1535: I'm not normally an emotional man although I still can't see the end of The Champ without shedding a tear or two. However the applause for dethroned champion Hardy Eustace as he returned in front of the stands was genuinely heartwarming. Despite some of the things you see in the Centaur the Cheltenham stands are full of good people.

1530: I think Tony McCoy enjoyed that - and why wouldn't he. A wonderful Champion Hurdle and a reception to savour. He's a tough one - Brave Inca that is - and he is tailormade for the man aboard. Festival Radio informed us after Straw Bear's narrow defeat in the opener that Tony had gone 32 Festival races without a win. They probably didn't tell him. Now he's off the cold list. Might make a decent jockey one day that lad

1510: Champion Hurdle time. David Williams of Ladbrokes told me earlier they had pushed Brave Inca out in the betting. Now racecourse commentator Mike Cattermole reports it is all the rage. Fickle lot we punters. Arcalis for me. Now the roll has started where will it end?

1505: I told you it was raining earlier. Good to soft now.

1500: The bookmakers' reps are thrusting ante-post prices into hands willy nilly at present. 10/1 Voy Por Ustedes for the Queen Mother Champion Chase next year Ladbrokes with if you fancy waiting 366 days for a potential pay-day.

1455: Monet's Garden returned to a great ovation after his gallant effort - he looks a real star for the future. Pleased for both trainers in the Arkle, Alan King and Nicky Richards. I was lucky enough to visit both stables ahead of the Festival and the pair were fantastic to deal with. I'll let you into a little secret. Not every trainer or jockey who comes across as a loveable individual when interviewed on TV is actually one.

1450: My doppelganger Meatloaf may have felt "two out of three aint bad" but for this asmthatic one out of three is sheer bliss. The memories of the winnerless Festival of 2003 are banished - and in the second race too! Only hope my camp celebrations aren't going to be used on a montage at the end of the Festival by any broadcaster. It lacked dignity.

1340: The time has come. Tradition dictates that I watch the first two races from the members' lawn with a group of friends. Will be a very jolly chap if Natal or Crow Wood win the first and positively beaming should Voy Por Ustedes go on to land the Arkle. However the only glow I usually have at the Festival is one that concerns the medical men. Fingers crossed though. We are set fair for a fantastic afternoon.

1330: Survived a dramatic few minutes. Managed to be hit by a wheelchair as Jim Lewis and Henrietta Knight unveiled a magnificent statute of Best Mate in front of a big crowd. Jim spoke well to the assembled masses as Murphy's Marbles (not a medical condition but a band who regularly appear at the Festival) drifted over the airwaves. Then popped my head into the Arkle Bar which doesn't seem as busy as normal. Moulin Riche was the talk of the town, another banker then. That's four already for the first day.

1300: Dessie Hughes is being interviewed by the excellent Ian Carnaby in the parade ring ahead of Hardy Eustace's bid for a third Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. I can't help but feel the reigning champion has been severely undervalued by the racing public. I was fortunate enough to be at Cheltenham for Istabraq's wins in the great race and he was THE star of every year's Festival. Hardy Eustace seems to lack the same mass appeal. It may be his style of racing or his connections aren't as "sexy" as his illustrious predecessor (and no I don't have photos of Aidan O'Brien and JP McManus on my bedroom wall). But he is already a three-time winner at this meeting and could be just over two hours away from one of the great racing achievements but you see no Hardy Eustace flags or obese men sporting replica silks at the track. Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

1245: Back to sneering at the stats I'm afraid. Crow Wood and Natal are my two against the field in the opener but according to the maths men seven-year-olds (Crow Wood) can't win and Paul Nicholls (Natal) is the trainer to avoid in the race. Decided go with my admittedly considerable gut instinct.

1230: Stats-based betting is a real boom area judging by the number of copies of the Cheltenham Betting Guide under arms here at Prestbury Park. Always had a somewhat sneering attitude to this method of finding winners but just unearthed the stat that I haven't backed the winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle since Indefence in 1996. May go and borrow a copy.

1225: Will Hayler is threatening to take a sideways and irreverant look at the day's action in our video review. Will spend the rest of the day trying to talk him out of it.

1210: Lifted a piece of paper from my desk to find out I have missed out on the Anglo Irish Bank Press Breakfast. Good news for my doctor and the blood pressure but a setback nonetheless. Champagne and bacon sandwiches apparently. Not a combo we have very often in West Yorkshire.

1200: Just had a walk to the Centaur which for much of the afternoon becomes a large pub, punters watching the action on the big screen, betting at the shop and drinking from the bars. It is hugely popular. Mike isn't. He's the man on the trumpet with the jazz band in there. They are trying to work the crowd into a frenzy but so far have failed miserably. Mike is from Barnsley we were told as he made his way to the microphone. However his greeting passed most by and he was reduced to parping out a quick tune instead of engaging in banter as his captive audience roared home trap two at Romford.

1140: I was taught at an early age not to measure anything in public but the sky is brightening and the rain now drizzle. It seems two millimetres may well have been right. The crowd is now flooding in and the Festival buzz is with us.

1100: The 2006 Cheltenham Festival dawns wet. The rain started as I was being frisked by an over vigorous steward at the gates and hasn’t stopped since. I am assured they are only expecting two millimetres and Carl Llewellyn for one is delighted to see it. He feared the ground would be dead without it. I fear I may pass away with it. All of the talk at the track is about Sweet Wake in the opener. The best since Golden Cygnet I am told by one esteemed pundit. Lay of the day by another. Won't be rowing in either way myself.