We will still have an excess of Saturday riches - which means Sunday must be the answer

A great horserace, like a decent red wine, deserves the chance to breathe. That comparison also forms a handy bridge between the premierisation of British racing and the 2023 Betfred Derby, which will still be able to breathe, albeit with a few asthmatic symptoms.

For the first time, Derby day is also FA Cup Final day, which means the Epsom Classic will be squeezed even more than usual. A train strike is bound to impact on the course attendance, while the counter-attraction at Wembley will steal much of the Derby's usual media coverage, having already been responsible for robbing the Derby of its usual 4.30pm start time.

Whether the contest begins at around 1.30pm will depend on the success or otherwise of Animal Rising protesters, who want to cause as much disruption as possible, mindful that, like the Grand National, any disruptive action will be shown to a sizeable audience on ITV's main channel.