AN obsession with horse racing is something many of us are warned against when we are younger, but it does come with an upside, including an improved understanding of genetics, probabilities and history.

The names of racehorses can constitute a lifetime of education in themselves, from a passing knowledge of top ballet dancers (Nijinsky, Nureyev), to Norfolk beauty spots (Blakeney, Morston), and to an encyclopaedic recall of leading artists, scientists and statesmen (Coolmore through the ages).