IN these days when even crossing the road without incident can be described as ‘awesome’, superlatives should be treated with caution. So let’s just say that Kauto Star, who has left us too early, was a great horse - a truly GREAT horse who reminded us why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.

Locked in its own, inward-gazing world, racing struggles for outside attention. But for a few years, whenever Kauto Star was about to strut his stuff, aficionados found themselves fielding questions from those generally more concerned with share prices, holiday plans and the latest shenanigans in Coronation Street or Albert Square. Good heavens, Kauto even made it big on the Radio 4 Today programme, that bastion of middle England with its slightly sardonic view of anything falling short of world importance.