The racing binoculars

A pair of ancient binoculars weighed down by badges from all the big race meetings is a tell-tale sign of an enduring National Hunt fan, says Catherine Austen

ARTHUR likes to get to Cheltenham a good three hours before the racing starts — he hates sitting in traffic. He parks his old Saab, then eats the cheese and pickle sandwiches his wife Jenny made for him. While drinking coffee from a Thermos, he works his way slowly through the Racing Post, deciding his placepot bets.

He has been coming to the Cheltenham Festival for more than 50 years — his father brought him to watch Arkle win his third Gold Cup when

Arthur was a schoolboy. Arthur has seen them all — Dawn Run, Desert Orchid, Istabraq, Kauto Star — but Arkle remains the benchmark.

An hour before the first, Arthur puts on his trilby and hangs his ancient binoculars in their leather case over his shoulder. Attached to the case are badges from all the big race meetings he has been to. They are bulky and cumbersome, but each one has a memory for Arthur and

he won’t let Jenny throw them away. Their children suggested giving Arthur a new, lightweight set of Swarovski binoculars for their 40th wedding anniversary, but she knew he’d hate the idea. He bought the heavy, black binoculars after backing Midnight Court to win the 1978 Gold Cup and they’ll see him out.

Jenny never comes racing with him — she knows he likes to be on his own. She prefers a day out at Newmarket with her girlfriends in the summer, but Arthur disdains Flat racing.

“Proper horses, that’s what jumpers are,” he says.