The Jockey Club is entitled to be nervous but a lucrative Derby deal may be imminent
For racing, this was always going to be a huge week. Circumstances dictate its importance for the Jockey Club has been heightened.
Everything seems to happen so quickly at this time of year. In a world without bookmaker advertising, it would be easy to argue British racing has only four assets that could easily be sold to a mainstream television partner - and they all occur within the space of just three months.
The Cheltenham Festival, Grand National, Derby and Royal Ascot come along thick and fast. They represent the sport's prime selling points and three of the four are owned and managed by the Jockey Club, which is a very good thing given, like Ascot, the organisation's profits are ploughed back into the business and not in any way lost to shareholders.
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- Epsom means business with its week-long Derby festival - and here is how the radical revamp could look
- To race or not to race? Corach Rambler's connections confronted a tough question and found the right answer
- Racing leaders face huge decisions - but could any amount of money justify relinquishing control of the crown jewels?
- The Jockey Club knows how it is perceived and wants to change - but that change must happen faster
- The numbers that tell a powerful story about British prize-money - and they might come as a surprise