I made Harsent's book, Night, my favourite poetry book of last year and backed it to win the Forward Prize. I mentioned it to him at the Cheltenham (Literature) Festival but he didn't seem to realize my comiserations were real until I told him I'd put money on him. But now he has 65 thousand Canadian dollars to ease his pain and I remain out of pocket.
Anyone, if there was anyone, who followed my series of horse racing tips through the autumn and early winter might remember that I advised we should finesse a modestly successful campaign with Rock On Ruby in the Christmas Hurdle. And there I was, on Boxing Day, in front of the telly, over the last hurdle just in front shouting, 'Go on, Ruby', with admirable economy encouraging both horse and jockey with an Empsonian eighth type of ambiguity, only to see him touched off by that old enemy, Binocular. And then, in March, Rock on Ruby won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham (Horse Racing) Festival with Noel Fehily on board because Ruby Walsh is trailing in third with my cash on Hurricane Fly.
Sometimes, you can be so right and still somehow end up being proved wrong. But, c'est la vie, or, as they say in France - but, ah no, I wouldn't do such an old joke here- they'd also say, 'c'est la vie'.
