‘Then you find you can’t book a jockey to ride your runners, or at least not one who’s any good. Or worse, your declared jockey simply doesn’t turn up, or else has a nasty attack of tummy ache just before the race, leaving you completely in the lurch.’

‘But then he wouldn’t get paid his fee. Surely it’s in his best interest to ride?’

Simon emitted a hollow laugh. ‘It is solely in a jockey’s best interest to do exactly what his agent tells him to do. Otherwise he will find himself out of work altogether.’

‘But he’d switch agents, surely?’

He shook his head. ‘Most of them, the big ones, have all started working as a cartel, at least round here. Cross one and they all stand up in solidarity. Any that won’t join the club get forced out altogether. The agents rule the racing roost these days, make no mistake.’

‘But every agent has to be licensed by the racing authority. Why don’t you complain to them?’

‘And have your yard burned down? I don’t think so.’

‘Is that what they say?’

‘Not in so many words, but there is always an implied threat. Gary Bremner was trying to get us all to stand up to them and look what’s happened to him.’

‘But it must be costing you a fortune.’

‘I simply pass it on to the owners. They have to pay for the entries and the riding fees anyway through Weatherbys. I just add the premium to their training-fee invoices. We all do.’

Weatherbys is the private bank that has administered all payments in British racing since the mid-eighteenth century. Every registered owner, trainer and jockey must have a Weatherbys account, and all race entry fees and shares of prize money are automatically deducted or added, respectively.

‘So it’s the unfortunate owners who have to pay?’

‘They pay for everything else—race entries, jockeys’ fees, transport to the tracks, farriers, even their horses’ use of the gallops—they pay for the lot. This is just another cost on top.’

‘Don’t they complain?’

‘Most don’t even know it’s been added. But no one forces them to own horses. They do it for the love of the sport. And some even make a profit.’

His tone implied that most didn’t, especially in jump racing, where the prize money was moderate and there were no large stud fees to be earned.

It seemed to me that it was actually the owners who were doing everyone else in racing the favour.

I thought back to my conversation with Gary.

‘What else do the jockeys’ agents demand?’

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, but his body language made it quite clear he knew exactly what I meant, and he didn’t like it.

‘Do you ensure a horse won’t win if an agent tells you it must lose?’

‘Of course not.’