Obsession can be very distracting, and I fully confess that my fixation on the outcome of the Ashes has caused all varieties of problems this summer. By the time you read these words, the destiny of that little urn will have been determined.
It's a sobering thought as I sit here typing in my garden that cricket fans in England, down under and wherever Test match cricket is followed, face the probability of ten days of sporting torture, with two Tests still to play.
There have been times this summer when I have craved for a bank of TV screens, allowing me to watch the racing through one eye and the little red ball trickling to the boundary with the other. It has been forever thus; I recall in my youth watching the racing and cricket with my father, back in the days when channel hopping was an Olympic sport, the remote control only appearing on Tomorrow's World. You had to actually get out of your chair and retune imagine! But that was generations before Bazball.
Bucket loads of emotion is invested in following the sports we love, and I sometimes ponder what life would be like without the distraction of watching a race or a nail-biting cricket match. Racing satisfies most of my cravings but cricket is all encompassing, an epic roller coaster journey. I am an Essex supporter and one of my proudest possessions, apart from my mildewed vinyl collection, is a commemorative plate celebrating Essex winning their first County Championship in 1979.
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Racing Ahead.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tragedy Hits Racing Family - Nick Townsend reels from shock attack on John Hunt's wife and daughters
Nick Townsend reels from shock attack on John Hunt's wife and daughters. I will be far from alone in recent days in being overcome by emotions ranging from utter disbelief to revulsion upon hearing of the unspeakable acts perpetrated upon John Hunt's family, resulting in the death of his wife Carol and daughters, Hannah and Louise.
AUDIENCE IS ERUPTING
John Anthony reveals the latest top speedsters after another Glorious Goodwood
HORSE OF A LIFETIME
Graham Buddry pays fresh tribute to track legend Sea The Stars - surely one of the greatest ever
IT'S TIME TO TAKE STOCK
Paul Jacobs looks forward to seeing some big on-track questions answered
PLAYING TO THE WHISTLE
lan Heitman flies about to keep pace with a rush of two-year-old Flat action
WINNING JOY ON A BUDGET
Richard Eagle takes a trip to Windsor to check out peoples' route into the port of kings
GIFT HORSES AND FRENCH LESSONS
Robert Cooper finds 'retirement' is keeping him busy
FEUD GETS THE PARTY ROLLING
Karl Hedley savours the Galway Festival action and picks out the summer highlights at Ballybrit
ROCKING THE MONEY BAGS
Simon Nott reveals his recent experiences from trips to Brighton and Ascot
FLYING EVE'S BORN TO WIN
Nick Townsend talks to in-form trainer Eve Johnson Houghton