Remembering Hugh McIlvanney: a genius who elevated racing to art form

Hugh McIlvanney once described sport as a "magnificent irrelevance", and he should have known, given his career as a sports journalist without equal across the decades.

Moreover, given that horseracing was only a minor part of his portfolio, perhaps we can assume that for him it was, at best, the third most magnificent irrelevance – certainly behind football and boxing in terms of volume – but it enthralled him like no other, and any sport that captured his imagination sufficiently to become a string to his bow had to be grateful for the attention.

In an era of journalism well disposed to heavyweight sportswriting, McIlvanney was the (practically) undisputed doyen, with friendly access to many of the greats of the arena, from Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper to Bill Shankly and Jock Stein – not to mention a passing acquaintance with Idi Amin – but some of his best work grew out of a fascination with the giants of the Turf.