Richards is small enough to do limbo without bending appreciably but few people mess with him. At the age of 65, he has won about 1,500 races, recorded three centuries and sent out 50 or more winners in a season on 17 occasions. “Well, at least that was what I was told by my boy [Brian Harding, the 3lb claimer], because it was a very misty day. I suppose I’ll have to believe him.”So it might be later than that. He’s jumped round big courses, he’s jumped round Haydock, so we may go back there in the New Year.”Richards’s recent results have provided high testament to his enduring success. “We’ll work on his jumping and treat him like a young novice again,” Richards said.Then will come the decision about the seven-year-old’s next race.

The Somerset-born man (Phil Tuck, the former jockey, does a memorable impression of the West Country voice and delivery), who has trained in One Man And His Dog land for close to 30 years, is sailing high in the championship with a strike-rate approaching 40 per cent. “I think Wetherby [the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase] on Boxing Day will come too soon for him, which is a shame as he jumped well there last time except for the ditch,” the trainer said. “But you don’t usually win when you hit three.”Unguided Missile, who was skilfully handled by Richard Dunwoody, can be excused a little, as he was put off by the many fallers around him. “I’m still a bit sore but I’m killing the pain with a couple of tablets now and then,” he stated.It was an irony of the weekend that only four of the nine runners should finish the Betterware and that the one considered the most suspect of the lot should actually win it “He always hits one,” Richards said.

Horses are distracted by accidents to their brethren, in much the same way as motorists slow down in the outside lane when they spot sirens and twisted metal in an opposite carriageway.Nevertheless, it will be the Janet and John book of leaping that is pulled from the shelf in coming weeks. He sustained them at his Cumbrian yard when an inmate being removed from the horse- walker first kicked the trainer to the floor and then followed up as he tried to get to his feet. Real bikers’ tactics.Unguided Missile was reported fit and fighting yesterday morning after his exertions, though the same could not be said of Richards. Since two murderous blows snapped the Greystoke trainer’s ribs in an attack two weeks ago he has collected top chasing prizes on consecutive weekends, first with One Man at Haydock nine days ago and then Unguided Missile’s victory in Ascot’s Betterware Chase on Saturday.
Richards was not in Berkshire as his injuries preclude him from travelling long distances. We will be playing a one day international at Lords again, and there will be running television coverage, so you can’t help being encouraged by that.’I.