Ivan was a true lover of racing and a hero to us all

One of racing’s most heroic supporters was cremated at Bierton near Aylesbury on Tuesday. Ivan Newton Edwards was 66 when he died last month, after 45 years as a tetraplegic following a car crash from which three other lads walked away.

It was about as dirty a deal as fate could inflict on anyone, but Ivan did not complain. His extraordinary achievement was thanks to his own indomitable will, the quite astonishing team at Stoke Mandeville, his wonderful group of carers, and racing. For with racing as an interest, every morning offered a daily battle of hope against expectation. Of opinions to be formed, risks to be taken and results to ponder. Yes, Ivan loved a bet.

Few thought he would live when he got to Tonbridge hospital that first night, but at Stoke Mandeville his spirit would not be bowed and ­eventually he became magnificently mobile, operating his wheelchair by his chin. He became a familiar sight around the town, popping out from his bungalow to chat to people and of course to visit the betting shop.