We’re just over two weeks into 2026 and so far I’ve become a little bit older, a little bit fatter and a little bit less physically fit. At Kelso Racecourse it feels like we’ve had more frosty frozen mornings than mild ones and we’ve abandoned 100% of our fixtures to date (one from one), so intuition tells me that things are about to get better.

They have to. Right?

Okay, so I’m not about to turn the clock back on the age thing, but I’ve already eaten all the chocolates bar the coconut ones (and not even the dogs will touch those), I’ve exhausted the seasonal stock of stout, and the running shoes are calling to me from their position by the front door – mainly with words along the lines of “Who’s that old bloke in the mirror with the beer belly?”

I’ve never been one for making New Year’s resolutions, hence the relaxed approach to clearing up the last of the festive culinary treats, but it seems that the time has come to get my house in order. Or, as psychologist Cliff Arnall of Cardiff University termed it, we’ve reached “Blue Monday” – typically believed to be the third Monday of January. He even created a formula to explain why some people felt that it was the most depressing day of the year:

Blue Monday =  [W + (D – d)]  T^Q  / (M x N_a )   where:

• W = Weather/Light exposure
• D-d = Debt minus ability to pay
• T = Time since Christmas
• Q = Failed quit attempts (New Year’s resolutions)
• M = Motivational levels
• NA = Need to take action

The good news is that, to counter Monday’s blues, we’ve developed a fresh formula at Kelso Racecourse that should give everyone hope:

Reasons to be cheerful  =  [LD + (WT – S)] x T^AB  /  (PB x C_lit )  where:

• LD = Lengthening Daylight
• WT – S = Winning Tips minus losing Stakes
• T = Time until Morebattle Hurdle
• AB = No. of antepost bets already staked for Cheltenham Festival
• PB = Pints of beer consumed per night
• C = Number of chocolates left in the tin

Our selection for Saturday’s fixture at Windsor’s Winter Millions Meeting is Spectacularsunrise in the Sovereign Handicap Hurdle, the number of days until the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso will be just 41 on Monday, and the number of antepost bets placed ahead of the Festival is growing every week (the most recent is Jango Baie for the Cheltenham Gold Cup).

Things are definitely looking up. If you find yourself in need of a boost, go online and book your tickets for the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso today!