CONTRARY to some impressions, it is possible to be a numbers geek and to appreciate the history and spectacle of the sport. The two are even complementary when numbers underline just how good a visually impressive performance really was.

The summer of 2019 is proving to be the summer of Frankie Dettori, who has captured Group 1 after Group 1 at the kind of age when many jockeys have long since taken up a cushy role in the media.