With the Festival fast approaching I thought it appropriate to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the best ride (not to be confused with 'best horse') I have ever seen over jumps.
Unsurprisingly it features A P McCoy (whom you can also catch on Netflix in the outstanding 'Being AP'; which deals with the closing weeks of his career when he wrestled with the concept of retirement).
Garrick have to agree with you there.
I backed the horse and it must have been massive odds "in running" and APs never give up attitude was incredible.
One of the very best
The failure of Theresa May's deal in the House of Commons on Tuesday appears to remove the one hope for some stability for British racing in the whole Brexit process, at least in the short term.
Had MPs voted to agree the terms of the prime minister's withdrawal agreement, then on March 30, the day after Brexit, racing would have continued much as before.
Racehorses and breeding stock would have been able to continue free movement between UK, Ireland and France, just as they had the previous day.
However, Parliament's rejection of the UK's withdrawal terms by a margin of 432 to 202 votes, a majority of 230, brings a no-deal Brexit another step closer, along with the potential for disruption that will bring.
As far as horses travelling from the EU to Britain is concerned, there should be no change in the short term under a no-deal situation as the same laws will apply before and after Brexit.
However, if the EU imposes border checks and controls then it could mean that those horses would find barriers preventing their return home.
Even worse, if the UK were not to be given 'third country' status by March 29 no exports to the EU could take place at all.
In a no-deal scenario racing could find itself in the eye of the post-Brexit storm with the Grand National taking place the next week, given the prospect that any Irish runners at Aintree might not be able to return home easily
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