All quiet on the gelato front as delights of summer racing prevail

The British summer, such as it is, brings with it certain incontrovertible signs to reassure us that all is right with the world. Swallows fly back from Africa for our edification, no matter that they may have better things to do; skylarks sing their signature tune over cornfields for no better reason than to lift spirits; foreign motorists slow down to gawp at Stonehenge, causing tailbacks that keep us from expiring through contentment.

All of these are visible from the car window on the way to Salisbury, but on arrival there is a sight that eclipses all others with its unwavering certainty. Past the picnic tables in the car park, through the savoury smoke of the barbecue burger stand, a lazy stroll in the sunshine to the owners' and trainers' bar and there, on the tiny terrace, at the number one table, within comfortable reach of a glass of chilled white wine, sits Richard Hannon snr.

Richard Hannon is a major player at the Wiltshire venue, as two winners on the afternoon will soon remind us, but Richard Hannon snr is the doyen. Legend has it that if the former Collingbourne Ducis handler, like a Tower of London raven, were ever to leave the racecourse, it would close down and be converted into a permanent car boot sale. Luckily, the great man looks set for the afternoon.