CHELTENHAM: Martin left almost lost for words

Tony Martin must have given something in the region of a dozen interviews in as many minutes after Bryan Cooper guided Ted Veale to victory in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle yesterday.

It was a workload that soon overwhelmed his delicate vocal chords.

As the words tumbled out, they grew fainter and fainter, lost behind a wheezing croak of increasing proportions that prompted one interviewer to suggest lightheartedly that perhaps they should use sign language to continue the conversation.