Torn festival betting slips and Aidan O'Brien's getting excited: spring must be around the corner

It is that time of year when spring is starting to make an appearance, as witnessed by some soggy daffodils in a wet Holland Park, Easter eggs in Sainsbury's, the Oscars, a later sunset and rooks starting to build their nests.

In the racing world the prospect of spring has, personally, been symbolised by the following down the years: the tearing up of Cheltenham Festival ante-post betting slips, the publication of the Grand National weights, the emergence of a few snippets about the Lincoln and a news story proclaiming Aidan O'Brien has potentially the greatest horse who has ever looked through a bridle.

This year it was the last item on that list which made me think of spring. It came on February 17 when, having taken out a second mortgage to fund the purchase of a flat white and a cinnamon bun in Gail's bakery, I sat down to browse the sports section of The Times (in case you're wondering, I had already thoroughly digested the Racing Post). There, on page 19, was the headline 'City Of Troy Can Become Greatest Racehorse We Have Ever Seen'.