As a massive Samcro fan, from the first day he set foot on a racecourse, I will be surprised should he be good enough to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Frail and stooped, Pope John Paul is burdened by his age and his ailments. But tomorrow he sets out for Canada, Guatemala and Mexico, ignoring the advice of aides that the 13,000 mile trip may be too much of a strain for the most travelled pope in history.