A benchmark would help stewards see the picture more clearly

The defence that Saturday's race was the last on the Haydock card is so outrageous it needs no further comment. That the jockeys were happy to race carries more weight, but in any other case of abandonment their position is only the last word when in the negative.

Much the same goes for the argument that trainers, owners and staff who bring their horses to run should be able to do so. Few such complaints are made when the ground is waterlogged or frozen. The dangers are literally more obscure in the case of poor visibility, but they are just as real.

Discretion has a part to play in the management of any raceday, but this is a situation in which rules would relieve stewards who, with the decision wholly on their shoulders, may feel pressured into taking the line of least resistance and allowing racing to continue – or conclude.