I am close to making a major Cheltenham decision. For the first time I could be sporting a beard at the 2007 Festival.

The growth, which currently stands at around a week, began following an outbreak of eczema after the pepper spray in Paris.

As my girlfriend Nina then mistook my cream for some modelling glue and threw it away, I was unable to treat the rash for over a week so couldn't shave. The result is now something that makes me resemble a young - yet virile - Geoff Capes.

There has been a scare though - the emergence of three ginger whiskers on the left cheek. They have been removed by tweezers but any more sproutings of this particular colour and Boy Band Dave will return.

I have nothing against ginger beards - Van Gogh apparently had one as has a friend in the office who actually built the Cheltenham website - but I can't carry them off.

Neither could Van Gogh to be fair.

Beards and racing are strange bedfellows. As soon as anyone finds out you have an interest in the sport of kings they can't resist two questions. 'Why don't any jockeys have beards and can you name the racecourses without the letters R A C E in them." If you are pestered with these two just smile, shrug your shoulders and walk away. It is better for all concerned.

I now have accomodation for the Festival, my safari contact has returned from Kenya to hand over the keys to his Bishops Cleeve cottage so all is set fair.

All I need now is a winner to pay for the four days.

Gungadu has emerged as many people's idea of it now he is heading to the National Hunt Chase. There are those who believe he is a steal at 5/2 but for the life of me I can't row in with confidence in a four-mile novice chase for amateur riders.

I've decided to find it in the County Hurdle this year anyway. At least that way there's hope to the very last.