Date of birth: 28 Nov 1948 Started training: 1990 Base: West Ilsley, Newbury English Classic wins: 0 2002 wins: 123 2001 wins: 67 2000 wins: 84 Main jockey: Steve Drowne

Channon is one of a rare breed who have reached the top in two different sports.

One of the best-known footballers of the 1970s, the former Southampton star won 46 caps for England, scoring 21 goals, before retiring and switching to horse racing.

His popularity in both worlds led to him featuring on This Is Your Life in 2001.

His racing career began with jobs as assistant trainer to John Baker and Ken Cunningham-Brown before he took out his own licence in 1990.

He started with 10 horses in a yard at Lambourn but moved in 1999 to Newbury to West Ilsley (the prestigious stables once owned by the Queen) and now has more than 18 times that number.

In 2002, he topped the 100-winner mark for the first time, ending the season with 123 winners and more than �1.5m in prize money.

He has also drawn owners from his previous career, with Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball and Sir Alex Ferguson among those who have horses with him.

Channon's first Group One success came with Piccolo in the 1994 Nunthorpe Stakes and he has gone on to win many more valuable races.

But still missing from his CV is a Classic winner - in Queen's Logic, he had the ante-post favourite for the 1,000 Guineas in 2002 but a last-minute foot injury ruled her out of the running.