I can't help but feel sorry for Kieran Shoemark - but that doesn't mean the Gosdens are wrong

Lots of us absolutely hate it when a jockey loses their job. It's not everyone, because the spectrum of human personalities includes sadists, pyschopaths and sociopaths, who are entirely comfortable watching someone roll off the roof of a tall building, and there are also drunks and stoners who have deadened their emotional response mechanism. But most of us are inclined to wince, at the very least.

This reaction doesn't have to be connected to our view of that jockey's capabilities. It's a question of empathy, combined with knowing how precarious our own situation would be if things started to go wrong for us.

It's all so public, which is another aspect of such stories that makes us curl up inside. We all get our share of troubles in the end and, when they turn up, it's quite a comfort to be able to hide behind the front door while falling apart. Eventually, you can face the world again and only the guys who collect your recycling get any kind of insight into how many bottles and/or tubs of ice cream were involved in the process.