ON FEBRUARY 8, 1998, Imperial Call ran his final race under the guidance of Fergie Sutherland, who had famously trained him to success in the 1996 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

DES McDONOGH, himself an Irish Cheltenham hero with Monksfield in the Champion Hurdles of 1978 and 1979, is well aware of how fickle horse racing can be.