Headed to Cheltenham for their two day International meeting and the journey took forever in the fog... It was a strange feeling switching my radio back from Heart FM to Radio 5 for the last time, but satisfactory nonetheless.

Met up with former Sporting Index PR guru Wally Pyrah who had been given a strong word for Phillip Hobbs' Menorah in the 11.50am at Doncaster. Well, cutting a long and expensive story short, I had a strong word for Pyrah afterwards which cannot be printed here. The horse finished second having fought for its head for over a circuit... I was £90 down and racing hadn't even started at Cheltenham.

Amazingly, just like the weather, things improved dramatically and I backed the first two winners. I made £270 buying Weird Al on the index in the opener and a further £280 buying Nicky Henderson's Spirit River in the second. Even with the Menorah debacle, I was £460 up after two races.

Then, it all went badly wrong. I really fancied one of Enda Bolger's (Wally Pyrah always used to call him Edna when Sporting Index sponsored the event!) to land the Cross Country Chase. However, rather than Garde Champetre, I liked supposed second string Heads Onthe Ground. I bought £15 of the beast at 17 on the index and if the race had been run over a distance of anywhere between six furlongs and three and a half miles, I'd have been a winner as 'Heads' led the field throughout. As they swung for home, 'Heads' was booked for first or second... He faded and finished sixth. It was more like Chin Onthe Floor than Heads OnThe Ground!

Then came The Tother One who didn't manage to reel in The Package, Whimper who went out with just that (fell at the fourth), Maucaillou who finished one place out of the money having cruised into contention and finally Lidar who did the same (not the cruising into contention part, but the finishing fourth bit). All in all, having been £460 up after two races, I was £190 down at the end of the day. I left the track cold and feeling sorry for myself….

My alarm went off at the bang of 7am and I felt like Ricky Hatton must have done when he stared up from the canvass at Floyd Mayweather. I was desperate to get up but my legs were having none of it. Strangely it hadn't been that big a session the night before, I just felt pretty terrible.

However, breakfast at the appropriately named Chase Hotel (for I was certainly now chasing after a bad Friday) soon got me back on the bridle and I was ready to face the music. No damage was done in the first as Bocamix finished exactly where he was expected to… third. Hey Big Spender looked all over the winner four out in the next, but finished second netting me £80 back.

Then, disaster! I sold Tell Massini in the 1.50pm and Poquelin in the Boylesports Gold Cup. I am not going to go into the details or more importantly, the maths… you check out the results. Put it this way, in cricket it's known as not avoiding the follow-on!

Had to dash away from Cheltenham after the International to make it home for Phoebe's second 6th birthday party of the week. Musical Bumps went down a storm, although musical statues was equally popular. One little plump girl dominated the whole event and landed most of the prizes. She was the P Nicholls of the party. Phoebe never really landed a blow and was thrown out of the final heat of the bumps by the stewards... She'll come on for the run though. Stanley, the black lab, is definitely one to watch... And watch very carefully. He ate half the chocolate cake when left unwatched in the kitchen.

The chocolate cake went through Stanley like a fast train and I was left to clear up the mess. There were solid un-digested maltesers in the mess (still not sure whether the offering came out of his mouth or his arse) which proved that he had literally sucked in the cake without chewing it.

We went off to a Farmers Market and my three kids were lucky enough to meet Father Christmas. Amazingly, none of them questioned why he stank of booze and weighed under 10 stone. He gave them all a Cadburys Dream bar and said that if they were good he'd climb down our chimney on Christmas Eve. I tell you what, if I catch that particular Father Christmas in my house on Christmas Eve, I won't be held responsible for my actions.

Anyway, sold £100 of Liverpool supremacy at 1.1 when they went a goal up, so was delighted with a £210 profit. Having followed on, it was important to get back amongst the runs. Picked up Wally Pyrah on the way to a racing dinner in the evening and he was wearing a tight fitting black leather jacket and a Burberry scarf. I told him he looked like Cesc Fabregas's grandfather.

One bet, one winner. The dawning of a new age of ruthless discipline (Wiltrud will be sad she has gone now). Bought £10 of Kummel Excess at 26 on the index and netted the maximum £240 return. Back in the game!

I sold £100 of goals in the Birmingham v Blackburn game before kick-off at 2.25, so was particularly disappointed to see a relatively early goal. Well, if truth be told, I didn't see the goal at all, as we were at a Christmas fair outside Winchester Cathedral.

The kids got collared by a bible basher as they were looking at a giant Nativity set – she appeared from nowhere (just like Cameron Jerome in the 12th minute at St Andrews). She told them that Christmas was all about a shining star – surely she hadn't gobbled up some 10/11 about Kauto Star making it four King George's on Boxing Day too?

Back at St Andrews, I stopped my bet just before half-time and took the £20 hit.

My wife asked me if I've bought her anything for Christmas yet and I told her 'yes', but it was a surprise. What she doesn't know is that it's a £25 buy of Man City win index at 11 against Spurs tonight… Go on City! Go on Adebayor! Wiltrud is watching!