British racing must 'stop being so negative' - here are some reasons to be cheerful

The sun is out, temperatures are rising, Royal Ascot is just around the corner and the British summer has finally arrived. Alternatively, it is too hot to sleep, there are thunderous downpours every other day and before you know it the nights will start drawing in again.

Similarly, just as former Arena Racing Company chairman David Thorpe was telling the Racing Post in a recent interview British racing had to "stop being so negative" and that it was still the best in the world, recent weeks have produced easy fodder for the doom merchants. A race at Brighton last week was reduced to two runners when four horses were withdrawn less than 45 minutes before the off following an administrative blunder, less than a week after four stalls opened later than the rest of the field in an Epsom sprint over the fastest five furlongs in the world.

Those were just two of the negative headlines which have beset British racing over recent months, and there would be plenty who believe it is in dire straits, but are things as bad as they are perceived? There are certainly racing jurisdictions elsewhere in the world which might wish they had British racing's problems.