Horse racing has a habit of giving and taking.

Certainly Red, one of my favourite National Hunt horses, won again in late November at his favourite Sandown course in a veterans chase - and there was wine on the table once again at the Eagle household!
At Ascot a few weeks later I went out of my way to congratulate his trainer Lydia Richards. Visibly still upset she informed me that on Red’s return to his favourite hunting ground in the London National Chase her star chaser had badly damaged his stifle bone and will now not run again this season.
Hopefully he will return even at the age of 1...