Special agents: the amazing family behind King George winners six decades apart

The black and white images of glorious chasers from a bygone era whose exploits are still recounted with wonder by those who witnessed their iconic deeds, and the high-definition shots of our current heroes whose exploits are instantly transmitted around the globe can sometimes seem divorced from each other, so seismic have the shifts been. There are, however, invisible threads that connect the two.

Six decades after the majestic Mill House triumphed in the King George, Tornado Flyer pulled off an audacious victory in racing's Christmas highlight at Kempton. The thread that binds both horses is the remarkable Doyle family of bloodstock agents.

Mill House was purchased by Jack Doyle, renowned horseman and bloodstock agent, father of Peter and grandfather of Ross, while Tornado Flyer was bought as a store by Ross.