Following late wife's orders the key to longstanding success

John Timpson, chairman of his family's successful shoe repair and key cutting business, is a Manchester City fan, but reckons he would never fall into such a foolish trap as owning a football club.

Owning racehorses, however, is a different matter, although one Timpson and his late wife Alex came to relatively lately in life.

"Alex's uncle, John Hughes, was clerk of the course at Aintree and that's how she got interested in racing," explains Timpson, whose City-themed blue-and-white silks were carried to victory by Upbeat Cobbler at Chepstow last month, only the second victory in the colours since his wife died from cancer in January.