'I came in for a lot of ridicule and some of it was rough - but everyone here always had my back'

In the world of pithy aphorisms Oscar Wilde was right more often than not, but it might be argued that he was wide of the mark in his declaration that "there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about". Kieran Shoemark, for example, would probably have given his eye teeth for a few months under the radar in 2024.

Last year was a time of flux for the upwardly mobile rider; it was his baptism as first jockey to John and Thady Gosden and it was a year that, if you took public opinion as gospel, was not so much a curate's egg as an unmitigated flop. Social media and even (hard though it may be to believe) some reputable newspapers were quick to question his credentials for the job as several of Clarehaven's stars underperformed, and with Frankie Dettori in the US and out of the firing line the flak that came the way of his replacement was substantial.

Horses who had once looked like Shoemark's great allies became sticks with which to beat him. After two early-season defeats on Inspiral he lost the ride, albeit missing out only on the two final losses of her career. When he partnered the quirky Emily Upjohn to defeat at the hands of Bluestocking in the Pretty Polly Stakes, he was roundly berated by critics who might have done well to wait until the end of the season to analyse the fine print of the form book.