Kitty’s Light is the horse of the year

John Trotwood Moore, one-time State Librarian of Tennessee, was a racist and defender of the Ku Klux Klan. But in the saying for which he is best remembered he did get one thing right: ‘Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilisation we will find the hoofprint of the horse alongside it.’

I was reminded of his words because of those used by trainer Christian Williams after his Kitty’s Light had won a famous victory in last Saturday’s bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park. Christian is not only an outstanding trainer of staying chasers, he is also the father of a little girl called Betsy who was recently diagnosed with leukaemia. In his distinctive Welsh baritone he declared: ‘We’re lucky to be involved in racing given what we’re going through. We can still have enjoyment through the dark days. When horses see children, they are like different animals.