Yesterday morning the racing world woke to the sad news that John Thomas McNamara had passed away. The 41-year-old former leading amateur, who suffered a horrific fall from Galaxy Rock in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival of 2013, lost the one battle he could never win.

IF THE BOOKIES had it all their own way for the first three days of the festival, the punters finally had their moment yesterday with victories for heavily backed favourites Wichita Lineman and Kauto Star.