Agreeing principles is a start, but solving racing's problems is what's critical

There was never going to be a moment where Julie Harrington, the BHA chief executive, emerged from a conference room after two days of meetings with key industry leaders clutching a stack of papers containing the complete strategy for the future of British racing.

Instead, the expectations were that representatives of the governing body, racecourses and professionals would broadly decide where they needed to be heading and what they might need to do to get there before going forth and figuring out the means of doing so. In a sense that is what has happened.

Nevertheless, there is cause for genuine optimism in the comprehensive statement released by the BHA last night. "Significant innovation" is promised, including to some key building blocks in terms of the way racing is organised and presented. There is plenty of ground covered in the ten areas of focus outlined.