There were no Ferraris at the Ludlow Hunt point-to point, held on Saturday below the massif of Titterstone Clee on a magnificent spring day, where the SUN put in an appearance in more ways than one.  Shropshire (and I’m glad about this) is a long way from London and is not Ferrari country (apart from the chap who owns the excellent Golden Moments Indian restuarant). However, there was a Red-Headed visitor from the metropolis who kept us on our toes. I was first alerted to her presence by finding former racehorse trainer, erstwhile Lothario, latterly Telegraph columnist and newly arrived novelist Charlie Brooks waving the punters into the car park. Staying with local friends, he was taking the opportunity to promote his new novel among the large gathering of horse folk.

And with him was his fiancée, Rupert Murdoch’s favourite larrikin, editor of our biggest selling national newspaper and my Wapping pin-up, Rebekah Wade. I can tell you truthfully that Ludlow is seldom visited by journalistas of such distinction. Resisting the urge to pester Ms Wade, and, frankly, not expecting a positive reaction to her appearance in my last book and on this blog, I nevertheless felt I should do what I could to welcome the newly fledged race-track novelist to the fold of race-track novelists to which I belong, and bought a copy of Charlie’s book, Citizen, from the affable author.

Launched last week with a stellar guest list including Messrs Cameron and ChoirBoy Osborne as well as editors of the rest of Rupert’s stable, it was well-reviewed in the Sunday Times yesterday. The Guardian – you may think a little churlishly – implied that, as the TestaRossa has been rumoured to be going on to a more general command of Murdoch UK, that a review – and a favourable one – in another News Corp sheet was inevitable.

I haven’t read it yet but will pass on the benefit of my own review in the near future.

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