HORSES who spend many years in the same yard are a huge part of the lifeblood of the sport. You only have to see the welcome given to some of the old favourites of the jumping scene as they return to training.

They are rarer on the flat, but we’ve seen a few – those like Roy Rocket in Britain – who gain a popular following over more than the usual two or three years.

This week, as the attention focussed on the new star in the Lyons yard, they said goodbye to an old favourite in Brendan Brackan. Perhaps, without horses like him, there would be no Siskins, for horses who came back year after year are as much a testament to a trainer’s talent as one lucky star. Every yard needs a Brendan.