In this instance though I do feel a substantive ban is also justifiable and will ensure that young Mr McCain-Mitchell will never make that mistake again.
Although hailing from a family obviously inextricably associated with the Grand National, Toby McCain-Mitchell has had to live curiously in its shadow up until this last weekend.
I was racereading at Hornby Castle on the day he rode his first ever point-to-point winner. There was a certain irony in that achievement being overshadowed utterly 75 minutes later by the National victory of Minella Times, steered home by someone whom his grandfather would have objected to their riding in it at all.
Sam Twiston-Davies’s availability notwithstanding, there must have been the semblance of an argument for putting Toby back up on Beauport in last year’s race, the partnership having pulled out a career-best for the gelding in landing the London National five months prior.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.