Sir David Llewellyn: an inspirational hero from the valleys who scaled the peaks

Although many racing journalists have been significant contributors to the sport, very few fall into the category of hero.

Some would cite Lord Oaksey, but his great monument, the Injured Jockeys Fund, was a byproduct of his compassion and humanity rather than the pen. Although, by God, he could write with a quill dipped into celestial ink by the angels themselves, John is rightly revered not least for the fabulous human qualities he brought to the world.

But the most remarkable racing writer of the post-war era is beginning to slip away from memory. It is a wrong that demands overdue redress. Sir David Llewellyn wrote Friday's Jack Logan column in The Sporting Life for 27 years starting in the mid 1960s. The column was required reading and his fearlessness in print used to drive the Jockey Club – unelected dictators in all but name back then – around the twist.