on a day dominated by one man, something not quite to do with today's racing.

​The man is Willie Mullins and it is perfectly possible he could go through the card at the Dublin Festival Festival and to have the runners-up in each race. Is that good for the sport, even if it is very good for those who work at Closutton? Wouldn’t we all like to be as successful as Willie Mullins?
As a distraction here are 14 aspects of equestrianism some of you might not be familiar with.
1). The joint between the pastern and the cannon bone is called the fetlock. Oddly, the boot sometimes used to protect the fetlock should a horse knock the joint is called an ‘ankle boot.’
2). A ‘Blood Horse’ is a thoroughbred. A thoroughly confusing term for the uninitiated as it suggests some horses may well be bloodless. That said, the definition of a thoroughbred is ‘animals registered or eligible for registration in the English General Studbook’. Confusingly, there is also the term ‘pure-bred’ which is sometimes used to refer to a thoroughbred but where every thoroughbred is per se a pure-bred, not every pure-bred is a thoroughbred.
3). A horse that is cast in his stable or stall or box (the names are interchangeable) lies down in such a way that his legs are against a wall of said stable, stall or box, and is unable to rise without human intervention. If a horse should panic in such a situation, he might do great or irreparable damage to himself.
4). A dog that strays on to a racecourse used to be known as a Derby Dog.
5). You can subdue a horse, perhaps when being uncooperative for the administrations of a vet or when being clipped, by twisting its ear. This method is also useful, I am told, to bring to heel an out-of-control child.
6). When a horse is said to ‘favour a leg’, it is throwing its weight on the opposite leg in an effort to reduce the pain or discomfort in the injured leg. Horses do not generally have favourite legs.
7). A gelded horse has had his testicles removed. It is done to help a horse become more malleable. I am told this procedure would be of great benefit to a good many men.
8) The terms half-brother and half-sister refers to the parentage of a horse, for example having the same dam (mother), but a different father. In recent decades humans have seen merit in this, with a good percentage of families populated by different fathers within the same family unit. We do not refer to horses with the same mother but different father bastards, though we used to refer to children as bastards when they had a mother but no father. The word is now used a) when someone hits a finger with a hammer or similar, b) to refer to a politician, especially a Prime Minister with the initials K.S. c) as a go-to adjective.
9). For a horse to be in-hand, it is being led around a paddock or ring by a lead rein. It also refers to a horse being under control. A lesson here, I believe, that if transferred to parenting could bring about a better kind of teenager.
10). For Rolling Stone’s fans. A Jagger was a term for an English pedlar’s pack-horse. I wonder if Mick is aware of that.
11). To ‘lay off’ is to hedge or reduce a bet by wagering the other way as race-time approaches or, in modern times, during an actual race. I would suggest laying off gambling altogether as it can lead to many side-effects, as with having to pass across personal banking details to someone who have never met. Just ask the Gambling Commission.
12). A maiden is a horse that has not won a race. It is also a mare that has never been bred from. Equestrian people are demure and easily shocked and use the ‘term’ maiden as to them the word ‘virgin’ would be to reduce themselves to that of common folk and is also too much of a reminder of Sir Richard Branson. What has happened to him lately?
13). A nut-cracker is a horse that grinds his teeth and not a horse that grinds his nuts, though they could if minded to. Men do not grind their nuts, though some women might want to do it for them.
14). ‘Off in a bucket’ is old slang for when a horse wins at long odds.
Are you bored with this now. I am.
Enjoy Galopin Des Champs. A great horse. Better than Best Mate, though not as lovable as Kauto Star. And do not ever compare him to Arkle or – well, you will find out.

Finally, my condolences to the family of John Hales. To my shame, I had only just come to admire him to the same extent of those who knew him personally. The last words I head him speak were to Mick Fitzgerald at Windsor after Protektorat had won the Fleur-de-lys. Mick had suggested that if Protektorat won again at the Cheltenham Festival he would become the best horse John had owned. John would have none of it. ‘One of my top three.’ Having named Protektorat alongside One Man and Neptune Collonges as the best horses he had owned. Any horse owned by John Hales and his family are very lucky horses indeed.