CONSTITUTION HILL WON'T BE SAVING THE DAY !

The demise of horse racing in the UK is happening in real time. It may be hard to grasp this but when viewed in the context of the times we exist in, where change happens in the blink of an eye, where oddball customs become the norm and where a minute number of oddballs have disproportionate influence over our lives, it should not come as a shock.

In modern Great Britain horse racing is not part of the future and not only is it being allowed to totter along to what will be an eventual standstill, the demise is being speeded up by outside bodies. On the terrain of the emerging generations horse race betting is now dwarfed by the God that is football - and speaking of the next few days there will never have been a comparable Boxing Day for seeing racing's exposure minimized as the might of the Premier League is fired up back into action on full throttle.

The method of howTV audiences are measured has never been so out of sync with reality. With so many ways available of viewing our sports the significance of whether a meeting is shown on a main terrestrial channel or a support one down the lists matters not a lot. 

So while Constitution Hill possesses the aura to focus the mind of even the most cynical racing fans who now accept that the sport here is on its way out, this exciting animal will not be registering in the mind of those outside the sport, irrespective of what the TV broadcasting front men will be repeatedly singing about on Monday.

And a typically exciting King George finish, where this year one of three potential new equine stars could be establishing themselves on the chasing scene, it will all be having the same indifferent effect on the wider public. In fact given the spirit of the times it would be fitting for fences to be cordoned off leaving the race unrecognizable as the field darts in and out of obstacles without a racing rythym established. Nobody wants this nonsense but it won't go away for the sport has reached a point of no return in this country.

The misguided holding the power strings began to allow those hoping there would be no long term future of the sport to slowly chip away four decades back. It seemed all innocent at first with the odd fence modernisation here and there. Then it began to gather momentum and in addition to steeplechasing being commonly staged at neutered courses, we are now witnessing such restrictive rules being applied to whip use that it makes one wonder how those many genuine professional animals, who will do what is required but no more, will fare with half hearted, confusing messages being sent to them.

It really is amazing why there is not a full open debate on the level of so called pain that can be felt by a fit, powerful, eighty stone beast full of adrenalin by a flimsy instrument much softer than in days gone by. This proves without doubt that the powers that be are concerned with the misleading images created far more so than the realities of what is occurring.

National Hunt's racing time in the UK will shortly be up. It will continue in Ireland though the sport there is not without its problems despite Governments in general looking far more kindly on it. It is common know that the great majority of Irish people are far more interested in rugger, footy and Gaelic sports and horse racing is very much a minority interest there, with a questionable amount of enthusiasm felt towards it by those from the large populated areas.

For racing in  general  - well, it will continue to thrive in Japan and Australia but the racing community in the latter nation will be looking over their shoulders with niggling worries as the anti groups over there are fast gathering influence.

Back to the UK, barely a day now passes without concerns being raised about the funding of a sport whose survival depends on punters betting on it - some have tried to twist this fact but truth be told is that as well as  there being nothing from punters for the levy, media right payments would be needless without betting and as racing's share of the betting pie dwindles ( a pattern that will speed up once the affordibility checks come into play), we will be left at best with a small private club of people running a sport for themselves, without any press coverage, if anything at all. 

More likely that they will migrate away and future generations will be reading about how famous some British people are in the likes of Japan, who they have never heard of here. In a sense the racing equivalents of the modern day Carl Fogartys of this world.

What is certain is that putting a positive spin on the future of the sport in Great Britain can never before have been such a difficult task.

There is zilch for UK horse racing to be joyous and festival over but in the spirit of things here is a seasonal tune from a class act.

AN OVERALL DREARY SPORT WITH A DREARY FUTURE AT BEST

September flashed past with nothing much positive happening on the UK racing front, though at least there was enough in house criticism of the Racing League to give real hope that this stomach churning concept will now be dispensed with.

It was likewise encouraging that two leading National Hunt trainers took a swipe at the summer jumping   programme, with its low quality small fields, in which they called to a return to a proper break. Of course, many will recall the days when the season ended at the beginning of June and restarted on the Saturday of Glorious Goodwood  - Nassau and Chesterfield Cup Day, the Stewards Cup then run earlier in the week on the Tuesday.

This was when jump racing was permitted on ground described as 'Hard', and cards would be littered with three and four runner events with walkovers being commonplace. Milton Bradley would make hay and it was a situation that John Jenkins would capitalise on, teaming up regularly with John Francome who'd notch up plenty of early winners in his quest for the rider's title.

If we returned to a two month break the restart would be staged in conditions ensuring more contestants but whether it would guarantee an improvement on what we have now is a moot point. The opening Chepstow fixture trundled into action with relatively poor quality fields compared with most past renewals  of this meeting

With Ireland now more dominant than ever before the jumping arena there are going to be many UK weekends holding cards that don't inspire at the level they have done in the past. Sundays in Eire are increasingly the centre point of the jumping season. They not only hold superior quality novice hurdles and novice chases to the UK, but also have regular highly valuable handicaps that attract large fields. The Graded events are inevitably smaller in field size but are again overall higher in quality than the equivalent  events here.

In fact I cannot remember approaching a National Hunt season with as little relish as I do for this one.Not only are the Saturday's going to be overall lower in quality than ever before - we are going to increasingly see races spoilt through fences being cordoned off at the last moment due to low sunlight, something the makes a mockery of the very nature of the sport and a requirement that was not needed for the sport to operate until relatively recently.

We also have theme days attached to meeting after meeting.So much so that one of the most attractive days to go racing for a racing fan is Becher Chase day on the first weekend in December. It now consistently attracts a good quality card but the limited daylight hours and cold and miserable weather turn off the party racegoers, creating a peaceful heavenly atmosphere. Only the card only payment policy brought in sneakily through the back door with the help of Covid prevents this day from ticking every box.

A further note of caution that tempers optimism is that the course has been emailing customers inviting them to nominate a band who they'd like to see perform - it's certainly not racing as we know it and testament to the fact that almost every venue now views the actual racing as mere support to the chief aim, which is to create a large, lucrative day long party.

We had yet another clueless fibber on TV at the weekend, faking enthusiasm for the future of the sport in this country, boasting of the initiatives of allowing free admittance for juniors along with a focus of drawing in large numbers of students.

Truth is that none of this guarantees any worthwhile future patronage. Has anyone ever spoken to a modern day student? You can spot them on course, they'll be the ones referring to the horses by numbers. Nearly all of them would happily see the horses go back home and be replaced  by motor bikes racing around the track. They'd also be targetable recruitment material for those who want horse racing wiped off these shores.

And in the wider world there exists a continuation of concerning issues threatening the existence of the sport here. The news that three prominent charities who have worked with the greyhound industry in attempt to increase what they considered an unacceptable level of fatalaties are now calling for the sport to be phased out.

This is a story that has received coverage in the national newspapers, presented in a style that will likely tempt many to jump on the bandwagon. Around thirty years back this sport was dragged through the mud when it was revealed that hundreds of ex racing greyhounds each year were packed off each year to Spain to be got rid of, with many being dispatched by means of being hung alive from tree branches.

Problem is, as this real threat to the greyhound racing industry receives wider publicity, not only will the after racing welfare of these docile, gentle beings come under scrutinisation again, but the answers that will need to be solid and convincing are also going to have to be found by those in the horse racing industry as all of the arguments for ending greyhound racing could equally apply to horse racing.

Those believing that there is widening light at the end of the tunnel for UK racing should think again. The problems are mounting, seemingly by the week, and instead of adopting the futile exercise of trying to ‘force’ the sport on the uninterested younger generations, it would be best to respectfully allow their enthusiasm for the other surviving and thriving sports to continue without interference. 

Racing was in a good place in August 1978,  the month the final really good album from The Who was released for the album which followed in 1981, Face Dances, was a shocker. 

BEST LOOKING INTO THE PAST

The unsettled future of horse racing, both short and long term, makes one wonder how those with long term plans are able to remain buoyant and continue focused, in their own bubbles.

Even in better times, those breeding racehorses needed to have an outlook different to the general norm. It's not just a case of the odds being stacked against them, there is also the fact that given the age of many in this profession, they may not be here to witness and enjoy fruits that might be harvested in future years.

They talk of the dream of contributing positively to the breed as though they've found the secret to immortality and can guarantee that they'll be here to watch their plans unfold  -  good God, some of these characters look and indeed are very, very old.

Even those who have reached the higher echelons in this profession plan ahead with carefully structured matings, the most likely scenario being that they'll not be here to see the final outcome 

And for mere racing fans, particularly those on the mature side, interest in the breeding aspect of the game is tempered by the fact that we are not going to see most end stories - work  out your age, look at a National Hunt stallion starting out, and you realise that you are unlikely to see the conclusion of their career at stud. Put it this way if Crystal Ocean lasts twenty years at stud, considering the age jumping horses reach their peak then the chapter on this stallion's stud career will still be open when we have departed,

It's a similar story in the flat game in the area of stallions establishing themselves as sires of sires - all those fascinating developments with twists and turns that we have followed the path of in the past. Branches that suddenly bloom.

Those of a certain age will remember the hugely exciting Try My Best's taking triumph in the 1977 Dewhurst Stakes. The Ballydoyle based Northern Dancer colt looked assured of realising his potential and was already at prohibitive odds for both the following season's  2,000 Guineas and Derby.

In fact the Timeform organisation stated that, " he seems to us practically a ready made winner of the 2,000 Guineas", and added that as there was every chance he would stay twelve furlongs, " he is a ready made winner of the Derby as well."

History documents that after  winning on his reappearance at Phoenix Park, he started Even money at Newmarket only to trail in stone cold last. He was never seen on a racecourse again.

Put on the Coolmore roster there was hope that he would make amends in his second career. While he hardly set the world alight, among his progeny foaled in 1983 were Last Tycoon and Waajib. The former was a Champion sprinter in Europe and put the ceiling on his career with a success in the Breeders Cup mile. At stud he sired an Epsom Derby runner up in Marju but has established no lasting male line.

Waajib was a late maturer under the guidance of Alec Stewart. A winner of the big mile handicap at Goodwood he developed into a Group class horse and won the Diomed Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes ( then a Group 2) as a five year old. He proved overall moderate as a stallion but made a contribution to the breed via Royal Applause, by far the best of his progeny who was successful in the Haydock Sprint Cup for Barry Hills. 

This is where this seemingly going nowhere line would soon blossom. Standing at the Sandringham Stud, Royal Applause, sired a handful of lower Group class performers including a certain Acclamation who won the Diadem and was third to Oasis Dream in the Nunthorpe.

How unlikely that Acclamation would become a sort of cult hero for those interested in the breeding side of the sport. He now boasts his own dynasty with branches of its own, developing all the time. His showcase stallion son Dark Angel ( in picture) was retired at the end of his juvenile career and while it's not surprising that his notable performers are speedsters, a hell of a lot train on well and with an increasing number of sons at stud, he'll be leaving a lasting influence with chapters still to be written that today's maturing racing fans won't be around to see.

Mehmas is another son of Acclamation retired at the end of his two year old season. He's made an exceptionally bright start to his new career and like Dark Angel, it looks as though a fair amount of his progeny will train on - his four year old son Minzaal a big player in this weekend's Group 1 sprint at Haydock.

Acclamation is also responsible for promising second season sire Aclaim who's fee will be due a hike after being responsible for 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet, along with the classy sprinter Royal Aclaim. And not to forget Pyledriver's sire Harbour Watch and an interesting first season sire in Expert Eye.

It would be using the imagination too much to call it the ' Try My Best line' though it is not factually incorrect. However, we can say there is an Acclamation male line. Who would have thought that would ever materialise! 

Sadly, the maturing racing fans will not be able to marvel as future influential pedigree lines take shape, but can take comfort that they will that witnessed an era of the sport that it will never return to. Best now to enjoy the sport from a historical perspective and disengage oneself with thoughts of breed shapers as it'll just be as futile as getting excited about the prospect of man landing on Mars.

Image taken by author

This track was promunent in the charts when Try My Best blew out in the Guineas.

A BRIEF ESCAPE

• Runners: 6 RUNNERS
• Prize Money: £7,500.00
• Race Distance: 6f 3y
• Horse Age: 3YO
• Rating: 46-55
• Min Weight: 9st 0lbs
• 
  

Immersing oneself in this week's York cards offered no clues as to the real predicament horse racing in the UK finds itself in, for viewed in isolation the cream of the Knaveshmire fixture list offered stupendous  prize money, a good balance of Pattern races and handicaps, the latter contests boasting sizeable builds along with depth in quality. 

It's a meeting that cannot be scoffed at in any way even though many maturing racing fans would rather return to the three day fixture and even further back to when the Pattern system was kept under check and the Tuesday was the only day in the UK flat racing year with more than one G1 on the card, the opening day once staging both the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup and Yorkshire Oaks.

And added to the joy and temporary escape from the hell hole the sport is in, the stomach wrenching Racing League mercifully took a break for the week. While this appalling concept has a detrimental affect on the quality of weekend handicaps at the good courses at the height of summer, it thankfully did not appear to have had any adverse affect on this gem of a fixture.

Sadly, we now return back to be surrounded by constant doom and gloom, a reality check that last week provided only temporary relief from. It's that back to work feeling after the Xmas and New Year holiday period.

It seems everyone with some sort of platform in the sport is having their shout of how the sport should tackle the crisis it finds itself in. But it's all too late to save what existed. The once enthusiastic fan base has gone and has ever been replaced. Most venues accept this which is why they've turned to concentrating all their efforts at pulling in the cult crowds, the actual sport forming no more than a backdrop as the day ticks away.

Ten years ago this coming October Lord Grimthorpe stood proudly in the winner's enclosure at Ascot after Frankel had won his final race and announced to the TV audience that there would be a ' Frankel generation' of racing fans that would revigorate the fan base, giving the sport a long term boost. 

This seemed wishful thinking at a time when the sport was in marked decline and as it's sank to lower depths, it's clear that no Frankel generation has emerged though being realistic they would have been unable to have any real impact on what is now occurring. Dare anyone even remotely suggest that we'll now see the birth of a Baaeed generation!

We are often reminded of the finances injected into the sport by owners with scant returns available, even for those who are lucky to own an animal capable of winning a moderate grade race or two. This is a long established component of the sport here, more defined than ever before in the present climate, and no relief in the horizon as racing seems further away than ever before from a Tote Monopoly.

The harsh truth though is that no one is forced to own racehorses and in the grand scheme of things, topics involving the level of remuneration to owners are low down the list of national priorities. It would be most  unfortunate if a punter's tax was introduced - some in the racing community are so blinkered to believe that those owning animals rated in the 50's provide a laudable service to the sport and that those that are entertained should be putting more in.

This is laughable. There are too many stallions with ridiculous sized books resulting in mass over production and too many fixtures staged to cater for dross, many of which should be running in flapping events. Punters would simply stop betting on horses if an extra tax was added though it could be that the imminent affordability checks will take care of that itself.

Then we come to the welfare angle as no matter how the figures will continue to be massuaged, the wastage rate is going to be disturbingly higher than ever before. This is an unavoidable fall out of owners leaving the sport, trainers handing in their licences, and a void that no one has any desire to fill.

Look at the dross on offer at Yarmouth today. It even trumps Brighton's card for garbage on show. Yarmouth was once known most for having quality two year old maiden and condition events, with plenty of Newmarket handlers prepared to run some of their better juveniles at the seaside location.

John Gosden does at least have a runner in the two year old race today but it's worth noting that none of the entrants have a single Listed or Group race entry. The card also includes three 0- 55 handicaps. These races offer no valuable service to the sport, even limited as betting office fodder given 99% of under 45's will be first looking towards the footy for punting purposes.

Though still opposed by so many, the sooner the inevitable mass culling of the fixture list happens the better for a sport whose continuation is unviable in its present size. Papering over the cracks and kicking the can along the road only inflicts more unnecessary self harm to the industry in the UK.

A track from a much celebrated album that was released three months before the 1972 York Ebor meeting and thus would have graced thousands of households in the week that Brigadier Gerard was turned over by Roberto.

TWO SPORTS ON SEPARATE PATHS SO FAR APART

Racing has fallen behind other sectors of the entertainment on several fronts - one is the handling of attendees and the rules prescribed for what is permissible and what reasonably breaches accepted codes of conduct.

Drawing comparisons with how a European Tour come D.P World Tour golf event is managed compared to a modern day race meeting is comparing chalk with cheese, such is the gulf in how the staff keep the show ticking over.

The difference is a stark one. I attended the Cazoo Classic at the delightful Hillside last week end, visiting on the Thursday and Sunday. The field did not quite boast the depth of the 2019 tournament staged at the venue but for those who would enjoy following around hardy European Tour regulars, some with struggling profiles, it was a gratifying experience, for a most reasonable cost of £20 for the opening day and £25 for the concluding day.

A notable aspect concerned the professionalism of the staff and volunteers, who all appeared to relish carrying out their tasks, completely opposite to the miserable sods that the racecourses somehow have a habit of employing.

And make no mistake, those staffing golf courses are busy throughout the whole day, opening and closing crossings as play develops, having to divert spectators from walking into line of sight spots, or are inadvertently crossing fairways that are in play or even following playing groups in the in play areas, all easily done in error -  the shepherding is applied in a firm when needed but friendly humorous manner by staff who are themselves golfing buffs.

The rules don't allow alcohol or picnic hampers to be brought in - understandable in the sense that an in play ball could fall literally anywhere out on the course requiring crowds to be moved aside speedily. But the common sense applied all round is something which racecourses could and should learn from.

On the Sunday I arrived with a soft cloth Puma shoulder bag containing a bottle of water, a banana and chicken cobs. I was waved through the baggage checking area, as it was clear I was not carrying a hamper and unlikely to have booze in my possession.

A refreshing change from being asked to show the contents of my pockets and told that even small home sandwiches could not be brought in by racecourse staff who without resorting to a Thesaurus, I am unable to find a more accurate alternative than ' arseholes' to describe them.

The pricing of drink and food was notably lower than for an Open Championship, which do admittedly and shamefully charge top dollar but in general the price of a pint around was  £1.50 lower than that charged at the Aintree Grand National fixture, though as I am always on the move (over eight miles on my Steps App) boozing was not the purpose of the day - just two alcoholic drinks all day on each day,

Trying to look for an area to allow racecourses some leeway in the debate is a difficult one other than the attendees at a racing event are now a different breed to times past. Back in the 1970's it was a common sight at the likes of Haydock Park on a Saturday to have large groups arriving in charabangs carrying in large amounts of the likes of Tetley, Skol, and Double Diamond into the venue, and finding a speck for the consignment on the steps in the stand - however, in addition to the daily newspapers they'd  have at least one Sporting Chronicle and Sporting Life amongst them.They were racing fans and they behaved as such.

Nowadays the large parties who alight from the coaches are generally almost all lukewarm to the sport, with the conversation being more Callum Wilson than Callum Shepherd, and players in the injury list taking more attention up than non runners.

I find that those attending modern day golf tournaments are extremely passionate and knowledgeable over their sport. It's something that the dwindling number of modern day racing fans should be envious over. In fact, it dawned on me that the present day Golf course spectators were in general similar to those who attended racecourses fifty or more years ago, such is how they conduct themselves along with the enthusiasm shown towards the sport on offer.

And how enjoyable it is to dip in and out of the various groups in play and watch the many characters going about their profession......... a lowly ranked Portuguese contestant having a mare on Thursday, missing fairways alternately left and right, going into bunkers, but greeting with a hand slap a probable relative following his group around.....an Englishman commentating  aloud on his shots to few friends or relatives tracking him around........a South African character who has definitely increased his waste size since I last saw him, both he and his caddy look to have addictive natures, regularly puffing away on vaping pipes..... an Italian regular who the last time he played I'd overheard him ask his caddy on one of the early holes if the passing train went to Chester, not something you could predict would enter the conversation with a thousand guesses and certainly not something that you'd find incorporated into a player/caddy conversation in one of those computer golfing games..... hardy local veterans locals attracting plenty of good mannered encouragement......a Frenchman constantly bearing a most angry expression on his face.... a  fellow countryman of his prone to angry let it all go self critical outbursts......while anothe, Julien Guerrier,  maybe should have let off some steam as he bottled his emotions while in the process of going into meltdown and throwing away a semingly unassailable lead with only half a dozen holes left, and while the Scotsman Richie Ramsay received slightly more vocal encouragement as he closed down the leader, the faltering leader was given hearty respectful, enthusiastic support..... 

It's now too late too put mechanisms into place that would return racecourses into locations for racing fans. The change that began to take hold the early 1990's is now too far gone which is why in desperation. gimmicky events are introduced by those with no real understanding of the real appeals of the game. 

Golfing crowds are a mirror of how racing spectators existed in the past, passionate fans coming along to immerse themselves in something they understand and relish. It's a sport that ticks all the boxes with regard to the future, environment friendly, no animals involved, reaching to all corners of the globe.......as for the present state of UK horse racing, well, in three words, it's in bits.

A track from a strong throughout album and one of Bowie's best. And as usual, returning to a time when racing in the UK stood high on the podium along the other truly major sports

A CRISIS INTENSIFYING

The once unthinkable is now becoming a distinct possibility. The uprooting of horse racing from the UK , possibly Ireland and France too, with the show relocating in the Middle East, shared predominantly between Saudi Arabia and Dubai. 

Saudi Arabia is now pressing the pedal on wanting a bigger portion of the top level sporting scene. Money is no object as demonstrated by the offer to Ronaldo, and more so by the setting up of the LIV Golf tour which has already pulled in household names and will only be able to be resisted by the remaining cream at the top of the game for a limited period- you can sense it in how opinions of those showcase players not yet involved are already being delicately rephrased as they look further into the future and size up their plans.

With UK racing being cash strapped, how many will be able to resist offers to relocate? Quality animals are being hoovered up at a rate higher than ever before and earlier in their careers than ever before. The temptation to cash in in such rocky times must be close to irresistible for many. If the rumoured Middle East plans come reality, it won’t just be the horses that go - it will be trainers and riders and it will be on a permanent basis - unlike the long established working winter holidays in the likes of Hong Kong and India.

Let's imagine for example Tom Dascombe receives an offer to relocate with the assurance that he'll have good quality animals to train and that he'll be getting his foot in and established before the avalanche truly begins with bigger and bigger names following.

Here is a trainer who originally had a most progressive profile training from Lambourn who made a questionable decision to move to an unfashionable part of the country as a part salaried part private trainer. And this is not being wise after the event - it raised many eyebrows at the time as his name kept cropping up as one who was on the cusp of attracting patronage from some of the games biggest owners.

One can only guess how things would have developed if Dascombe had stayed put but it would be more than reasonable to suggest that at the very least he would have equalled the success achieved at Manor House and without the shadow of worry always lurking in the background that a single person possessed the power to return him back to the very beginning.

Make no mistake, Dascombe is now a prime candidate for such an approach. And what of Marcus Tregonning who it seems only yesterday that he was training the winner of the Epsom Derby and had a large string of mainly Shadwell bluebloods in his care.Very much a candidate likely to be approached as too would be Peter Chapple-Hyam, who has a remarkable CV always being able to justify those spells he had when given quality stock.

In fact, you could quickly build an endless list because once the trickle began you would never say never about any licence holder. And there is a big difference as to how a sudden, large scale racing expansion in the Middle East would play out compared to what we'll see happening with the on the road LIV tour.

With racing the numbers are near unlimited - at least for the first few years because the quicker the fixture list is expanded and populated the more horses and personnel are needed, and vice versa. With LIV, those middling golfers who have signed up will find themselves with an increasing number of limited opportunities as more of the bigger names join the tour - though no doubt they've already worked this out and figured that if would still financially work out as the better move.

With these scenarios more than just fanciful it makes you wonder what will be left of the present racing scene. With this in mind it must be noted that if as is possible, Irish racing goes into a critical state, Coolmore will be prepared to react to limit the downside.

Rather than becoming involved with a Middle Eastern plan it's far more likely that the core of the Irish operation would be transferred and split between the States and Australia where that already have thriving, firmly established breeding operations. The move could be achieved pretty smoothly in a relatively short space of time.

But returning to what would be left - well, the worst case scenario would be a wilderness of mediocrity. It's not something that would be relished. Exposure of the sport would fall with a lack of both equine and human stars to tickle the interest of the emerging generations. 

Many are now making somber predictions that racing in the UK is following the path to nowhere that its once great contemporary, Greyhound racing, trod down some years back - yes, it still exists in the background on a reduced scale but is barely discussed. How many would be able to name this year's Greyhound Derby winner, or even where the once great race is now held?

Here was a sport which although was always going to be unable to maintain it's heady numbers of racegoers that attended at the peak in the demobbing period after WW2, it appeared a given that it would  reset at a prominent level. Even in the relatively recent 1980's it was overall a very popular sport with the likes of the incredible stayer Scurlogue Champ, the truly class act Ballyregan Bob, making themselves known icons outside of the  sport. The same decade also boasted a wonderful Derby winner in Whisper Wishes. 

Admittedl there were concerns for the future of the sport but no one seriously imagined it could fall off the edge of the cliff. It's a reality check of what may be around the corner for racing and that a blase wave of the  arms is a dangerous attitude to adopt because unlike the canine sport, there are plenty of interested parties in other parts of the globe who will assist in its dismantling, even if not intentional.

A great cover version of a Motown hit from an album released during the year that Sea Bird 11 took the racing world by storm. Very soon, delving into the past will be the only enjoyable hobby left for rzcing fans, so woeful the game will have become.

YET ANOTHER AVOIDABLE COG IN THE WHEEL

UK Racing is beset by so many pressing issues of concern that the planned restrictive whip regulations that are now almost certain to be introduced have come without the open public pre amble in the press that would at one time have taken place.

Getting to the heart of the issue is the unpalatable fact that this is all about image. In fact since the now established air cushioned whips were introduced all whip regulations are solely a move to make things cleaner on the eye for the spectator - particularly those looking in indifferently or viewers with just a passing interest in the sport.

Many years have passed since riders were permitted to freely rain down sky high ariel strikes Eddery and Piggott style, though with the present design of whips we could return to those days with those that don't like it just having to learn that today's modern instruments applied to the hind quarters won't be causing any pain to an eighty stone beast.

With the present crop of riders riders learning their profession knowing they can't resort to habitual above shoulder high strikes (just two such strikes resulting in a minimum two days suspension) a return to such days would be unnecessary but the aforementioned two legends would only resort to this ultra aggressive looking style if they were receiving a response from beneath - for they were equally at home gently coaxing one home.

And by comparison however fierce the images may have looked, there were riders in Australasia who were far more carefree with their whip use. Mal Johnston, rider of the legendary Kingston Town, was notorious for his enthusiastic use of the stick. He was over in the UK on a working holiday in 1977 and rode Royal Palace's half brother Owen Jones to victory for Henry Cecil in that valuable three year old handicap run at Haydock in May under various different names down the years.

Then there was Philip Losh who rode in the UK for a short period over forty years back, noted for a Mick Channon style windmill action with his whip. One thing the new rules will at least ensure is that diversity in this area will be non existent. 

If truth be told, racing's rulers have for many years now been willing for matters involving the whip to be discussed in the open. For the cynical amongst us we can see, even if not by design, how this suits a purpose by consolidating the long held belief of the general public that this is the chief  'welfare' issue within the sport and that by addressing it they are making the game appear more animal friendly while at the same time sweeping the real and disturbing wastage issue under the carpet.

The PJA website has a detailed section on whip use, and what is considered acceptable. Some of it borders on comical such as rule 3 of the guidance of what rider's should consider. The rule advises that they should be " showing the horse the whip and giving it time to respond before using it", a sentence suggesting that the whip is a weapon that instills fears and is one that needs rephrasing.

It's also one thing handing out fines or suspensions to riders for breaching whip regulations, but the proposed disqualifications would be taking things over the edge, particularly if raceday stewards were given this power.

The present rules regarding the category of riding offence required for raceday disqualification are in many ways beneficial for the sport. More certainty for the punters, less time taken over deliberations, and much more preferable to the days when horses winning on merit then losing them in the Stewards room were much more common place.

While these rules spark controversy in that they attract an army of critics on the basis they embrace a ' win at all costs'  mentality, increasing the danger to both horse and rider, they had no bearing on the highest profile riding incident in recent times, resulting in life changing injuries to Freddy Tylicki. It will always remain a highly dangerous sport.

It would be most unwelcome for horses to lose races on the day from so called whip offences and in a time that racing needs punters to bet on it more than ever before with more alternative sports to bet on than ever before, it would be unwise to go down this path.

In many ways it's a great shame that this area of the sport along with multiple other areas of critical concern  temper what normally would have been reasons to digest and enjoy a so far enjoyable Flat season at a time when the actual racing needs as much positive publicity as possible.

The first four English classics falling to four unconnected sets of owning connections, four different trainers and four different sires. This added to a relative good spread of where the prizes have fallen - at least when compared to the last two decades overall.

Admittedly this unfortunately is unlikely to become a permanent escape from the two and three party domination of modern day UK Flat racing and of course it's nothing as varied as the fields assembled for typical top level events in the 1970's and early years of the 1980's, but it has been an unexpected and welcoming development.

But alas it's in the main been passing by unnoticed and is no more than a backdrop to the head spinning mess that has gripped the sport with these new needless whip use recomendations yet another addition to the swirl.

A great cover version from a legendary band and a track Daltrey has on his set list on his present tour. And of course from a time when racing was in a much better place.