'More than just a racehorse': the glorious tale of folk hero Splash Of Ginge

When John Neild declares that Splash Of Ginge was "more than just a racehorse", it's easy to dismiss him as simply another owner feeling a mountain of gratitude towards a bold beast who has carried his silks to success on the track. A nice chunk of prize-money and a few days spent on racing's sunlit uplands can colour a man's perception, after all, and there's nothing wrong with that.

With 'Ginge', however, there was always more to it than his exploits on the track. For so many of the people who either paid the bills, swung their leg over him or just hung on to the coattails of his remarkable career, he was something beyond an equine athlete, something tangibly greater than a few lines in the form book and a trophy or two on the sideboard.

"I'd never had depression in my life, always been glass half full, but I've had some dark days since my dad died on the eve of this year's Cheltenham Festival," explains the proud Scouser, revealing his own personal debt to the inspirational 11-year-old, "and this horse, watching his races and looking forward to them, has got me through it, so I owe him so much.