Shaquille gets away with his bad habits again but following him round the country is a risk

Weighing up risk and reward is at the heart of horseracing, even for those who wouldn't go within ten feet of a bookmaker. Consider the example of Shaquille, who has become the astonishing superhorse of this Flat racing summer, so that some racegoers journey out of doors purely for the thrill of seeing him in the flesh.

It's always lovely to hear about a horse attracting that kind of interest, and the word from Newmarket on Saturday was that Julie Camacho's slightly unhinged three-year-old has reached that level of fame. Wonderful. Except . . .

The start has become the most worrying bit for Shaquille fans and it is by no means impossible that there will be another day when he simply refuses to go in the stalls, as he did at Newcastle in April. All the day-trippers had better keep that possibility in mind and make sure the card holds plenty of alternative interest for them, because it would be a long way buck to Thurso if your sole reason for travel was the one that got shut out by the starter.