Lester's words on Vincent O'Brien

Legendary Vincent O'Brien died on Monday. The man from Churchtown in Co Cork, who trained his horses at Ballydoyle in Co Tipperary, was a genius with no equal. He trained six Epsom Derby winners. Nijinsky, Ballymoss, Sir Ivor, Roberto were among his greats.

Jockey Lester Piggott said of him; "Everything he did was geared to keeping his horses happy and relaxed at home so that they would perform to their full potential on the racecourse, and the results speak for themselves." And Piggott was another genius.

But reading those lines of Piggott it was impossible not to be conscious of their poignancy. The thousands of our little children who were brutalised were never allowed perform to their full potential. And the results speak for themselves.