I pigged out on Boxing Day and now I'm worrying about racing's strict new Premier diet
The 'protected window' we really need is one that shields us from competing distractions when the racing is on. At this time of year, it should cover a four-hour period from noon, during which time fans of the game would rather not be trammelled up with trivial concerns like work, childcare, household chores or phone calls from those with no racing interest.
If there was some way for the sport to helps its followers in this regard, that would have to become the BHA's number-one priority. I'm imagining a laminated card saying: 'This person has a Saturday afternoon exemption,' which could be flashed at family members asking for the dog to be trimmed or the grass to be walked.
Instead, we each have to fight for our right. "I can't just now, the racing's on," has probably been my most frequently used sentence for the past 40 years. You'd think people would catch on eventually.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
- An extra 60 seconds to run the Derby - surely premierisation should have done better than that?
- It's a sad day for racing when a big-name horse bypasses the Derby and the audience just accepts it
- Imagine a horseracing version of The Traitors - or is that just the world we already live in?
- Why my relationship with jump racing now reminds me of Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner
- Strength of your views on affordability is hidden away under Gambling Commission's diplomatic verbiage
- An extra 60 seconds to run the Derby - surely premierisation should have done better than that?
- It's a sad day for racing when a big-name horse bypasses the Derby and the audience just accepts it
- Imagine a horseracing version of The Traitors - or is that just the world we already live in?
- Why my relationship with jump racing now reminds me of Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner
- Strength of your views on affordability is hidden away under Gambling Commission's diplomatic verbiage