Extra money - but less competition and lower crowds: the impact of more racing

In a sport in which conflict is rarely far beneath the surface, the polarising nature of the fixture list is something which still stands out in its ability to divide racing down the middle.

There is either too much racing or not enough to grow the sport's income and popularity; there is too much low-grade racing at the expense of top-class contests or not enough opportunities for the majority of more moderate horses and too many options at the top to allow the best to dodge either other – and the list goes on and on.

Given such differing views from those operating in the sport, we've taken a deep dive into various strands of racing data in search of the evidence as to where the truth lies.