The great Fiddle

One of the worst moments I've experienced on a racecourse (bar losing Benedict in the Lincoln four years ago) was standing at Becher's Brook, acting as second camera in the days when George Selwyn trusted me to take semi-in-focus pics, and seeing Fiddling The Facts and Mick Fitzgerald come down on the second circuit of the 1999 Grand National.

I don't recommend that anyone with a dodgy ticker or a tendency towards hysteria stands at Becher's. The drop on the landing side means that you can't see the runners coming, you can only hear them. 40 sets of hooves thundering towards you. Only the dead would be unmoved. And then to see my favourite horse and favourite jockey crumpled in a heap on the floor. Utter terror but a happy ending, thank God.

I loved Fiddling The Facts and it has given me an immense amount of pleasure to watch her become a broodmare of note too. Her first runner, Classic Fiddle, won seven races and has black type, while Fiddling Again has won two and today's debutant, Master Fiddle, scored with ease at Market Rasen. Hurrah for the old girl, who has given us yet another exciting horse to follow for next jumps season.

Of course this season isn't yet over. We still have Aintree to look forward to and I'll be cheering on Niche Market in the Grand National for reasons you can read about in next week's Horse & Hound. And, of course, the Flat has spluttered into action but here at HQ we're blinkered enough to believe it doesn't really start until the Craven meeting. Quite so. The first day of the Craven sees the third and final year that the fillies' Classic trial will be run in the name of the Leslie Harrison Memorial Nell Gwyn Stakes. It's still too unbearable to think that Leslie's been gone for three years. He remains much missed, his followers still meeting at the pedigree club he set up with Camilla Milbank.

While John made the long trip to Wincanton on Sunday with Ex Con, whose unfortunate error cost him the chance of a place but who once again demonstrated his unshakeable genuineness, I ventured deep into Thetford Forest to watch our old faithful Jack Dawson (left) competing in an endurance race. In his racing days, Jack had many fans and I'm sure they'd be pleased to know that at the age of 13 he still looks every inch the racehorse and is enjoying life immensely. Thanks to Margaret Donnelly, Paul Wright and Lorna Kidson for the great work they are doing with Jack and to my old friend and neighbour Alice, who keeps me regularly updated with his sister Jill Dawson's progress. Jill and Alice are entering their first British Eventing class in April but Jill has already been the subject of rave reviews from no less a judge than the great Lucinda Green, so I'm confident that she too will excel in her new role.

Thanks also for the pictures from Terri Gray, now the proud owner of Brief Goodbye (right), who took part in his first round of cross-country jumping at the weekend and is impressing his new rider.

When the horses are here in training they really are like members of the family so letting them go when they retire is very hard indeed. Success stories like these really do help and John and I are immensely grateful to the people who take on these lovely thoroughbreds and give them a chance to show just how versatile they really are.

Readers of the Sunday Times might have noticed this blog's favourite author, Peter Temple, receiving a highly favourable bulletin for Truth in this week's paper. The reviewer said it 'might be the best thriller of the year'. There's no 'might' about it. It is.