Champ Johnson's injury deprives us of an epic title battle, but he will be back

The news that Richard Johnson has broken an arm is a blow first and foremost to the man himself, chasing a fifth successive title and facing his toughest opponent since the retirement of his great friend and rival Sir Anthony McCoy.

It represents a significant blow to the sport as a whole too, for while Johnson's battle with Brian Hughes still had more than three months to go it was shaping up to be the most compelling duel since Richard Dunwoody overhauled Adrian Maguire at the end of an epic battle in the 1993-94 season.

Indeed it promised to be even better, for whereas Maguire had been some 40 winners clear before being collared late on, these two have been neck and neck for months, with fortunes fluctuating on a daily basis.