It's a sad day for racing when a big-name horse bypasses the Derby and the audience just accepts it

The most significant date in July for any true fan of racing has nothing to do with any potential changing of the guard in Westminster. Twelve days after the general election comes the 30th anniversary of the Fin Me Oot Maiden Stakes at Ayr, an everyday contest given unexpected lustre by the debut of Celtic Swing.

It turned out to be the last time he ran without starting as favourite. A lovely, big, black horse with a white stripe down his face, he had no right to win that day. Among his rivals was Chilly Billy, beaten two necks in the Chesham on his previous start and destined to win the Gimcrack next time out. But in the words of Celtic Swing's owner, Peter Savill, the newcomer "opened at 10-1, started at 7-2 and won pulling a cart".

It was the start of something huge. Celtic Swing beat Singspiel by eight lengths at Ascot next time and rounded off an unbeaten juvenile season with a 12-length success in the Racing Post Trophy, the Doncaster Group 1 now known as the Futurity. Any journalist with the slightest vulnerability to hype caught Celtic Swing fever very badly indeed. Even those sobersides at Timeform suggested the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby could be filed under "foregone conclusions".