JOHN SHINES ON FOR LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT

Nick Townsend talks to irrepressible sadde legend John Francome

- Nick Townsend

By any estimation, John Francome boasts an extraordinary body of work: a seven-times champion national hunt jockey; for 27 years a broadcaster with Channel 4 Racing; and an author of a bookshelf of racing-based thrillers.

Indeed, that last accomplishment only ceased, he reflects wryly, because "after about 20 books you run out of ways to murder people."

Today, at 72, this irrepressible individual is still immersed in Lambourn, the village in which he arrived as a 16-year-old and proceeded to display what could be described, given his second career, as a killer instinct in the saddle, claiming a Gold Cup (Midnight Court), Champion Hurdle (Sea Pigeon) and two King George VI Chases (Wayward Land and Burrough Hill Lad) amongst his haul. When he dismounted for the final time in 1985, his 1,138 winners was the record over jumps in Britain.

In his 'retirement', he constructed Beechdown Stables and trained there briefly after retiring from the saddle. Today, he rents it out to Clive Cox, who stables around 100 charges. "I'm not involved with the horses, I just deal with maintenance issues. I've been out cleaning the digger this morning. he explains as we talk during a break from those responsibilities. But his obsession with all matters of the Turf has never abated.

"I was watching the (Tattersalls) Sales yesterday and a horse went through by Bayside Boy (victor of the 2022 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes). I thought 'that's really nice'. It ended up making sixty-five grand - and was sold to Clive Cox! I must have a chat with him about that..."

He describes himself more than once as "blessed" - from the support of his parents to his decision to join Fred Winter's Lambourn yard.