Royals, aristocrats and celebrities have gathered in a sea of furs, feathers and fascinators these past four days for what has been described as the racing world's equivalent of London Fashion Week.

Behind the glitz and glamour, the unvarnished truth is that for many punters the sport of kings, even the blue riband Gold Cup itself, comes a distant fourth to drugs, sex and booze.

I have been married 44 years and have always slept in the same bed with my wife. Last week, I caught a virus, and we decided that I would sleep in the spare bedroom until it was gone. I have now ...