'It was a slow, inexorable bleed to death' - how racing dumped the BBC

There was perhaps some sad symbolism in the fact that after well over six decades together, it all ended without even a goodbye.

True, the BBC had gone out on a high. Having first pioneered the televising of horseracing in 1948, the corporation signed off from the sport by covering Frankel's farewell performance in the 2012 Qipco Champion Stakes.

It was a wonderful way for arguably the greatest of all thoroughbreds to finish, but for the BBC there was supposed to be one last hurrah. Then the abandonment of Chepstow's Coral Welsh Grand National card meant the montage celebrating an extraordinarily long relationship, one blessed with all those horses, races and voices, could only be aired on the BBC Sport website.