No prizes for racing stars on benefit

Sportsmen then fell into this category, exacerbated by the brevity of their careers. But times have changed. Now sportsmen, and footballers particularly, are paid huge sums, collecting weekly wages many would struggle to amass in a lifetime. There's money from sponsorship and endorsements and, when it's all over, lucrative careers with the name-obsessed sporting media or in some managerial role.

None of these options may appeal but the point is that, for a successful retiring sportsman, they exist. When these people receive testimonials it provokes allegations of pure greed. But the justifications come thick and fast - it's a celebration of a devoted career, it's a once-inalifetime opportunity for sports fans to sit with their heroes, it's a lot of effort with no guarantee of a return, it's for char-it-eee.

All true, but of varying merit. If celebration is the concern, why does it have to be profit-making? If charities are the concern, why don't they get all the profits?

These organisations are hardly going to turn down the money and attention a big-name sports personality could bring to their cause. Something's better than nothing but they'd be unlikely to refuse the whole cake.

People wouldn't rip up their tickets if they discovered none of the money was going to line their star's pocket. They might even buy more of them. There is an element of risk involved. The ticket price of £100 per head for Dunwoody's opening event at London's Hilton covers only costs - any profits, including the charitable contributions, come from the postdinner auction. But money comes to money: the more successful a sportsman you were, the more able you are to have a testimonial.

Dunwoody hopes his will set a template for other jockeys and trainers to follow. That's all right, jack, for Tony McCoy and Richard Johnson, but who'll go to Vince Slattery's or Eugene Husband's testimonial? That's the level of jockey who could do with the cash.

Obviously, the best defence is nobody's forced to go to these events. People know what they're paying for and, clearly, thousands are happy to do so.

But, to the rest of us, testimonials leave a souring final taste to a sporting career we savoured.