Betting news and tips: Trackman is back with the latest paddock talk as he reflects on the last week in racing

THAT old Charles Dickens knew a thing or two.

'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’, he wrote.

Well, that’s bang on the button for our game at the minute. The corks had barely stopped popping at Cheltenham before coronavirus stepped in to put the brakes on racing.

That signals hard times for all racecourse staff. The majority of this merry band beaver away on zero-hour contracts so won’t earn while our `pause’ button is pressed.

On-course bookies are left waiting and worrying too.

These fellas chip away at the coal face to earn a crust. Two or three months without work will ensure some of their already endangered species drift away for good.

The layers weren’t done any favours when Paul Nicholls landed a touch with Mcfabulous on Kempton’s bumper card last weekend either.

The gang over at Paddy Power’s HQ were heavily involved with laying this flying machine.

And one of their shrewder operators gave me a nod that the `right people’ had made themselves busy backing the horse.

They were spot-on too. He hosed-up with Harry Cobden doing a passable impression of a statue.

Meanwhile, I hear Colin Tizzard’s team are still perplexed about The Big Breakaway’s lack-lustre run in the Ballymore.

Canny Colin was so gutted by his team’s form during Festival week that he reckoned Lostintranslation was only marking time running in the Gold Cup.

Typically, the horse proceeded to set a lifetime best in third. In the words of Jimmy Greaves, `it’s a funny old game`.

Meanwhile, the BHA have been huffing and puffing about who should be crowned champion jumps jockey.