“On the second circuit you can see the grandstand from a long way out and I could hear no horse at all. We crossed the Melling Road and Crisp was still pulling and couldn’t get enough of the race.
“But then when we got the second last his legs, instead of going out in front of him, were slightly going out sideways which is the first sign of tiredness.
“Even his ears lost their strength and went down. When you lose the strength in the ears you’ve got to the bottom of the barrel.
“I was starting to slow down and for the first time heard Red Rum, even though I was still clear. It was firm ground and I heard the drum-drum, drum-drum of his hooves.
“He was a high blower, as he exhaled his nostrils flapped and I heard that too. I knew he was coming, it was getting louder. It’s like when we’re kids and have nightmares of running through treacle trying to get away from some horrible person and I knew he was closing.
“We jumped the last OK and the only error I’ll admit to came then. I thought I had to wake him up and gave him a tap with the whip in the right hand. He was 17 hands 2, a huge horse, and when I took my hand of the reigns he fell away from he. I should have kept hold of his head, kept him balanced and got to the Elbow.
“It was a basic error and as he fell away left handed, when I wanted to go right, by the time I’d straightened him up I lost two-and-a-half lengths. In the end I was beaten three-quarters of a length.
“I got him back on course and got to The Elbow where he had a rail to lean on but I could hear Red Rum and Fletcher getting louder and louder. Brian was very clever – he challenged wide because he could see I was out on my feet but if he came close the instinct of a racehorse is to find a bit more when challenged.
“It was only in the final two strides he got to me, two strides from the post. Poor old Crisp gave his all and I went from possible elation to desolation within those two strides. It didn’t last very long, by the time I pulled up, to get the elation back.
“I’m not a McCoy, Scudamore, Francome or Dunwoody who were tunnel vision champion jockeys. I was a happy chappy who loved ridding and I’d just had the ride of my life, something money couldn’t buy. I’d been beaten in the National but was delighted because I had such great ride. It was an amazing roller-coaster of emotions.”