Scotland's former first minister and racing columnist Alex Salmond dies aged 69

Scotland's former first minister Alex Salmond, who attributed a lifelong passion for racing to a winning bet on Arkle inspired by his uncle, has died at the age of 69. 

A frequent racegoer throughout his life, Salmond penned a racing and tipping column, initially at the Glasgow Herald and later for The Scotsman newspaper, until he succeeded Jack McConnell as first minister after the Holyrood elections in May, 2007.

Salmond later explained: "When I became first minister, I realised that it wasn’t going to be possible to continue my racing column. You can survive a lot in politics, but a run of losing naps is difficult to explain."

Throughout his time in the Scottish parliament, Salmond continued to push racing's cause, joining forces with the Duke of Rothesay and the then Prince of Wales to have a card at Perth in 2011 become Scotland's first 'royal' race meeting.

In 2003, Salmond introduced a debate on racing and the importance of the industry to the rural economy while a member of the Westminster parliament for Banff and Buchan, a seat he held between 1987 and 2010, while also serving as the MSP for the same constituency at Holyrood from the establishment of the devolved parliament in 1997 until his resignation following the loss of the 2014 independence referendum. 

During a second stint at Westminster as the MP for Gordon, Salmond held the foreign affairs portfolio for the Scottish National Party, with Hansard recording no further interventions on the subject of racing.