From Sea-Bird to Shergar, the doyen of bloodstock writers Tony Morris on the Derby greats he was privileged to witness

Tony Morris’s career as a racing journalist began on April 8, 1963, meaning he has seen and written about plenty of Derby heroes that are mere photos or grainy videos to the rest of us. Here, he recalls six of the best.

Sea-Bird, 1965

I would not have been the only English primary school lad who was turned on to sport by events in the summer of 1953. On May 2 the nation’s favourite footballer Stanley Matthews at last earned an FA Cup winner’s medal; on June 6 the 26-time champion jockey Gordon Richards finally got to ride a Derby winner; and on August 19 England’s cricketers regained the Ashes with their first series victory over Australia in 20 years.