'I just wish he had been at his best that day because I would have given Frankel a big run for it'

Richard Hughes has disappeared up the gallops and there's nothing to do but wait until he returns.

For narrative purposes, it would be nice to think he has gone off in search of extra names to add to his list of the key horses in his career, but the truth is more mundane as he oversees the final lot of the day.

Fifteen minutes later, thanks to a gentle reminder from racing secretary Lilly, Hughes breezes into the bunkhouse overlooking the grazing area of his Lambourn yard, a building serving as a four-year 'temporary' home while Weathercock House undergoes repairs.