WHAT a privilege to spend some time on Monday evening enjoying the Irish sunshine in company with Alain and Giselle de Royer-Dupré. This most modest of men has a roll of honour that few have bettered, and he saddled Group/Grade 1 winners in eight countries, and on three continents.

Alain won two Irish Oaks, the Melbourne Cup on the only occasion I visited Australia, and saw the majority of his big race winners carrying the Aga Khan silks. Having saddled El Morucho to win a chase at Nantes, his first winner, he began training horses for the late Aga Khan IV before taking over at Aiglemont in 1981 after the death of Francois Mathet. He won all the French classics at least twice, and his list of big race winners is outstanding. Among his best horses was a daughter of Zamindar (Gone West) named Zarkava.