Tragedy amid triumph for Fortune but future looks bright for retired veteran

Three weeks out of the saddle haven't changed Jimmy Fortune all that much, although the transformation from professional jockey to retired jockey may not be long in coming. He is quite clear that the end of the endless regime of unnatural shrinkage is one of the most welcome benefits of no longer being one of Britain's longest-serving riders.

"It's nice to be able to get up and have breakfast in the morning," Fortune, 45, says with a sense of ease and contentment, "and I haven't eaten Chinese for 20 years, because I'd . . ." He makes a comic shape somewhere between Buddha and the Michelin man, but with the unspoken understanding that if he fancies a number 24 with boiled rice in the near future, he may well succumb to the temptation.

"I've even had a couple of pints of Guinness since I stopped," he confesses, "but don’t worry, I still walk for an hour and a half every day and bike for an hour. I may be a little fatter and fit, but I've always loved being fit and that instinct stays with you.