Obituary of celebrated amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara: ‘Tough as teak, sharp both of tongue and racing elbows’
It’s an hour since the last race weighed-in and things are slowly winding down. For those steering clear of the five-deep bar scrum for warm beer, this is a reflective time of the evening. Day two of the (then) three-day festival has whizzed by but so far the meeting feels slightly underwhelming.
Last year’s shindig was abandoned when some infield sheep scoped dirty for foot and mouth. Istabraq was expected to reinvigorate the missing excitement yesterday but had poignantly consigned his greatness to history in front of packed stands on the first circuit.
