THE race of the week for me was the bumper on Tuesday at Down Royal which was won in emphatic style by the Lorna Fowler-trained Lady Heath. This provided a first racecourse winner for her jockey Timmy Love, a neighbour of the Fowlers, a spotter at Goffs for the last few years and son of two of our closest friends Mickey and Sarah.

As it happens, Timmy was born nine months after our wedding, an event at which Mickey made quite an impression. The wedding took place at Alice’s home in Nottinghamshire where her father has a well-established herd of English Longhorn cattle. He had carefully assembled the best of these to be in full view of the guests while they enjoyed drinks on the lawn.