And what a state of high excitement you find me in.

While all England fans have been carousing 'it's coming home' all this past week, I will be leaving my Wold Newton stables home on Monday to make my long, long, long awaited debut.

My trainer Tim Etherington has entered 'yours hoofily' in the opening race in Monday's meeting at Newcastle. Why aye indeed, man - it's nag on the Tyne time, though I would much prefer not to be known as a nag, thank-you very much.

The stalls are due to open at 2.10pm and that's when myself and 28 other maidens, who have been declared, head pell-mell into the Racecourse Video Services Stakes over six furlongs. I don't know about the rest, but I fully intend to be a video star on my first outing and ride in the Evening Press colours with pride. Certainly it could not be a bigger test as among the jockeys already earmarked to take part in the race is Italian pocket-galleon Frankie Dettori. The only jump for joy I want to see from him is in appreciation of an Evening Press triumph as I whiz pasta his horse, Access Denied.

Preparations this past week have gone almost as well as England's World Cup turnaround, so perhaps it's fitting that I should make my debut in Newcastle, where Sven's men followed up the 5-1 mauling of Germany with a 2-0 triumph over the Albanians.

My bid to emulate a five-star show was further helped by the expertise of former top jockey Lindsay Charnock, who took me out for a training run in mid-week.

Back in the yard he went into a huddle with Tim, but we horses haven't got big ears for nothing. I overheard him praising my potential to shine, though he added that I was still 'a bit green'.

Green is not one of my favourite colours, winning-post black and white is far more to my taste and I am determined to reach that goal quicker than the others. Must dash, I've got to practice my rendition of 'the 'Blaydon Races'.

Updated: 13:28 Friday, September 07, 2001