BRIAN Harding received a great send-off when he had his final ride at Perth yesterday. The 44-year-old’s career spanned 25 years in the saddle. Harding said: “It had to happen sometime. I have been doing it a long time and I will be 45 in September. The last three years have been some of the best of my life, but I made the decision at the start of the year that this year would be the last one.

“I would rather go like this while things are still going pretty well and while I still love and enjoy it very much.”