IF Saturday afternoon ascended into a racing day to remember, it began with a very sad hour, wakening up to the news of the death of the popular grey Roy Rocket, trained in Newmarket by John Berry and remembered with such beautiful writing by Emma Berry.

“But to go to the races with him, to Brighton especially, was to remember that racing, as much as it is about deciding who’s best, is also about entertainment. Without people enjoying it, and continuing to support the sport or perhaps even becoming an owner or breeder, we would have nothing.”

John’s sorrow and distress was broadcast over the airwaves in Nick Luck’s Podcast on Monday, expertly handled by the presenter.

Of course losing a favourite horse is something that can never be avoided and all connected will in time pull themselves together and move onwards.

No one wants to dig up an unpleasant episode in these better times for racing, but the outpouring of grief for Roy Rocket explains why so many people were offended by ‘that’ photo of Gordon Elliott and why all the reaction to it was as strong as it was at the time.