BUOYANT bloodstock sales aside, I do not like November. I can attribute this to my mother who has always had a particular suspicion of both November and February. It would remind you of the saying, “Twixt optimist and pessimist, the difference is drole. One sees a doughnut, the other a hole”. Not even the most optimistic could disagree that the last two weeks have brought plenty of bad news.

First of all we learned of the untimely death of Pat Eddery whose career basically accompanied my childhood from Grundy through to Dancing Brave. His battle with alcohol will have resonated with many, as few families are spared somebody for whom this is not an affliction.