Let's not forget the risks our jockeys are willing to take

It was as Niall Houlihan was explaining to me that he had already been knocked out or suffered a concussion "five or six times" in his career that it dawned on me just how much our jockeys are willing to risk every single day to fulfil their own dreams and keep the sport we all love on the road. 

Less than two weeks after John Egan rode a winner at York's Ebor meeting at the age of 57, Houlihan revealed to me that his career had been cut short at just 25 with doctors worried about how another serious fall might impact his health.

He could have been forgiven for feeling at least a little dejected, yet there was no sense of moping or cursing over his situation when we spoke. Instead, Houlihan was thankful for the chances he had received during his seven-year career and was looking forward to his next chapter in racing rather than dwelling on what might have been.