'He was bloody good - people underestimate him but you should talk about him in the same breath as Desert Orchid'

Sir Mark Prescott might hold the accolade of racing's greatest raconteur but he is not the only person in Newmarket who can captivate an audience.

David Elsworth, the greatest dual-purpose trainer of his generation, has plainly lost none of his wit or wisdom since retiring almost three years ago.

At 84, his short-term memory may be a little hazy at times, but when it comes to the horses who made him a household name microscopic details stick in his mind; and, boy, can he tell a story.