‘Pathetic’ restrictions on punters are doing massive damage to racing - and the sport’s leaders are complicit

One thing can often lead to another – and it did a few days ago in Yorkshire.

My trip to Rishi Sunak's Richmond constituency was arranged to gauge local opinion on the Conservative government's plan to formalise affordability checks. What became strikingly obvious in one of Britain's racing heartlands was trainers, punters, bookmakers and racegoers are vehemently opposed to the state dictating how we spend our own money. Also laid bare was the enormous damage affordability checks are doing to a sport that fears Sunak's draconian approach to gambling will create even more destructive waves in an already rough sea.

There was something else that seemed to unite people.