I don’t know who coined the old racing saying ‘The only person who remembers who came second is the guy who came second’ but he was wrong. What draws us aficionados to racetracks on blazing summer afternoons when we would be better off in a swimming pool, or on soggy winter days when sensible folk are curled up in front of the fire watching a DVD, is the prospect of a memorable race, an eyeball-to-eyeball clash of skills and determination between two finely honed athletes with the final outcome in doubt until the very last moment.
Racing in 2018 gave us plenty to celebrate. Needing only one winner at Royal Ascot to pass Sir Henry Cecil’s record of 76 winners there, Sir Michael Stoute produced four. Mark Johnston became the winningmost trainer of all time when his total reached 4,194. Davy Russell, once sacked over the most famous cup of tea in racing by mega-owner Michael O’Leary, became the oldest-ever Irish champion jump jockey at 38 and won the Grand National on O’Leary’s popular Tiger Roll, once described by his owner as ‘a little rat of a thing’.
Charlie Appleby, who is the kind of guy everybody would like to live next door to, has risen through the ranks at Godolphin from work-rider and horse traveller to being the trainer who finally gave Sheikh Mohammed the Derby victory he has yearned for with Masar.
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