Peter Scudamore on Francome

“YOU can’t talk about John without remembering his devilment, which is a large part of him. He was always pulling pranks in the weighing room and he has great natural charm. I’ve seen people try to copy his riding style, but nobody can, because when he rode he became part of the horse.

“When I came along he was possibly getting comfortable as champion jockey and I made him more competitive. It was the greatest disservice I could have done to my career.”