HELLO folks. Evening Press here. Well, what a bad week I've had. Not only did I lose my race last Friday but - as regular readers of this column will be aware - I lost the £20 I bet on myself and therefore lost the chance to buy myself some new shoes.

Worst of all, the fact I didn't have those lovely new shoes meant that hunky Irish stallion Galileo has continued to reject my attentions.

I know shoes are not the be-all and end-all, but I'm sure it is my lack of expensive footwear - and not my face, which is getting longer with every race I lose - that is stopping Leo (short for Galileo) from taking me out.

Tim my trainer says I should forget about Leo and concentrate on racing. I know he's right, but I find that when I concentrate on winning, I start thinking about the money, and then about the new shoes I could afford, and then, of course, about impressing Leo. So it's a vicious circle.

Anyway, in a bid to break the cycle and help me concentrate more on the racing, Tim says he's going to try me in blinkers next time, which could well be at Ripon a week tomorrow. That will be a 0-60 apprentices' selling handicap.

Anyway, best go. I've got to find some blinkers to match my colours.

Regards,

Evening Press.

Updated: 12:01 Friday, August 23, 2002