Hats off to one of the sport's good guys, universally liked but also respected in equal measure

Oliver Sherwood has shed plenty of tears in his life, many of them in the last two years. Over the coming weeks he may well cry a few more rivers, although these will likely be triggered by his countless friends in racing having cause to remind him just how much he is loved.

Sherwood is one of the sport's good guys, universally liked but also respected in equal measure. His decision to stand down from the training ranks is one that is regrettable but also perfectly understandable. When the numbers stop adding up, it makes sense to take a long, hard look at the harsh financial realities. For Sherwood, as for so many others, training racehorses is as much a passion and vocation as a job. Unfortunately, you cannot pay the bills with passion.

The Lambourn devotee tends to think about others more than himself. He informed staff members of his decision to stop training on Saturday morning. As a result, he barely slept a wink the night before. Through chunks of 2021 and 2022 he underwent treatment for cancer but the death from the same illness of close mate Richard Aston left a bigger mark on a 68-year-old who began training in 1984. After an innings that has lasted much longer than most, Sherwood can go out with his head held high.