“I always said that this horse is the apple of my eye. I assure you, you have not seen his best yet.”

The best quotes from the world of motor racing this week. . .

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Some people become addicted to things. You can be addicted to smoking or this or that, but if people are addicted to something, you need to help them and help them get through it. What about the other 99 or 95 percent of people? Don’t take it away from them.
Aidan O’Brien defends gamblers in light of Irish Gambling Regulation Bill

‘It helps people get through life and that’s a positive thing’ – Aidan O’Brien defends horse racing’s connection to betting

The long-term goal will be a festival. I always said that this horse is the apple of my eye, everything he does at home pleases dad and me. I assure you, you have never seen her better quality.
Willie Twiston-Davies is full of praise for Potters Charm after an impressive win at the Cheltenham exhibition meeting.

‘We haven’t had one like him for a long time’ – Cheltenham winner becomes festival contender for Twiston-Davies team

People think a good horse is the one that goes fastest from bottom to top, but truly good horses don’t blow you away in the morning, they’re just consistently good every day. They always jump well, they always jump the same, they are straightforward, they eat, they sleep, they are not stupid – and they have presence. Horses such as Clan Des Obeaux and Bravemansgame.
Champion jockey Harry Cobden discusses past and future stars in The Great Leap

“The doctor said take it easy, what did he mean?” I’ll go back and knock them out now.

I have a sad and gloomy feeling this morning. John was a big influence on my career – he was the first person to give me half a chance. When I was the conditional champion, I probably rode most of the winners for him. I have nothing but admiration for him. He loved racing and loved his horses. He loved people and people loved him.
Brian Hughes pays tribute to popular northern owner John Wade after his death aged 80.

‘You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with a bad word to say about him’ – Renowned Northern jumper John Wade dies aged 80

You’ve never seen a racehorse lift his head higher than he does every day. It looked almost unnatural, but she did all her work and school this way, and you wonder how she could even see the obstacle.
Nicky Henderson remembers Cheltenham Festival winner Marie Rock’s unique running style following her retirement

‘She was special in every way’ – Nicky Henderson announces departure of Cheltenham Festival winner Marie’s Rock

The last 24 hours have been stressful, but I feel better after this. It was an incredible experience. They love their racing here and it was great to be a part of it. We were competitive and that’s really all we could have dreamed of.
Harry Eustace reflects on Docklands’ fifth place on Cox’s Plate after the imperious Via Sistina

‘It was a Winx performance’ – Via Sistina shrugs off training drama to break Cox Plate course record

The victory was an appreciation not only for me, but also for everyone in the yard. I need them, Charlie needs them, we can’t do it without them. Nowadays, many more people feel able to come to me and ask for help, even those who might be more reserved, and this has encouraged people to improve and advance their careers. It changed my life
Cheryl Armstrong talks about the impact of winning a leadership award last year Awards for pure industry workers.

“All anyone wants is a pat on the back, and these awards show that you mean something to the court and the people there.” This is great”

He said he would retire after the next winner but got one and came back and said I have a few more trips this week! He got his nose punched in Chelmsford last week with the whole weight room cheering for him, you should have seen the looks Marco Giani got after he did it.
David Egan joked about Jimmy Quinn’s imminent retirement after the 57-year-old jockey won at Yarmouth

57 doesn’t work! Britain’s oldest jockey Jimmy Quinn postpones retirement party after first winner of the year

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Read the following:

‘He’s not called Hotajell for nothing’ – feisty colt hands Jessica Harrington the last British Group 1 of the year

How do you see the Classic next year after the Futurity Trophy in Doncaster?

Alastair Down was ‘annoyed as hell’ to have the Cheltenham press center named after him and reveals his favorite moment in almost 50 years of visiting

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