I'M READY FOR A CHRISTMAS CRACKER!

Robert Cooper can't wait to tuck into a festive feast of racing

- Robert Cooper

Leaving aside the obvious, there’s plenty going on in December on racecourses in Britain and Ireland, notably the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day and Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, starting the same day (St Stephen’s Day) continuing until December 29.

I fret as I search for a window of joy to watch the All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special but make no mistake, somehow I’ll be stoking up the wood burner and heading to Darrowby to check the goings-on in Skeldale House, home of Siegfried Farnon and his veterinary gang. Without intending to sound like a fuddy-duddy (which I am of course) in my honest opinion there’s far too much grim reality on TV these days.

I thought the Cricket World Cup would offer an autumnal escape route but as it turned out, there wasn’t anything much more grisly than England’s puny performance. Instead Darrowby has been my chosen destination for the past month or so, reminding us that even in times of adversity (the latest series is set during WW2) there was the impression of providing more time for community and conversation. Back in the real world, a day at the races offers something resembling that slower world, either just to admire and enjoy horses galloping round a field or staking a few quid on your idea of the winner. We enjoy the sport for innumerable reasons; my joy is the rudimentary one of watching horses and jockeys competing, the thrill of a close finish, backing a winner, what is more compelling or evocative than the roar of the crowd with a backbeat of pounding hooves.