EARLIER this week’s boxing’s ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali, celebrated his 70th birthday and 50 years ago yesterday, National Hunt racing’s equivalent, the peerless steeplechaser Arkle, gained his first victory in a modest novice hurdle at Navan.

YOU have good weeks in racing and in life but the last few days have been right up there, the undoubted highlight being meeting Queen Elizabeth at the Irish National Stud on Thursday.