I was a racing-mad teenager - and Sir Michael Stoute inspired my ideals of how top-class Flat horses should be campaigned

Maybe someday someone will succeed Sir Michael Stoute on the licence at Freemason Lodge but it's safe to say no-one will ever replace one of the turf's most inimitable titans.

The man behind the legend that is Shergar might not have been the force of old lately but his tectonic legacy is indelible and his imminent departure from the sport's frontline will warrant all the fanfare it receives. 

For generations of racing fans, Stoute curated the careers of a range of totemic Flat horses, many of whose exploits endure wistfully in the mind's eye. He is also a big personality who for decades has bestrode the sport with an endearing fusion of garrulous mischief and curt contempt.