'Common sense has prevailed' - whip U-turn lifts mood on typical day at Hereford

For the 674 racegoers at Hereford there was a sense of normality after a busy festive break, but in the weighing room the feeling of relief was palpable.

A 1pm start gave jockeys plenty of time to digest the day's hot news that a decision to restrict the use of the whip in the forehand position had been reversed. Many expected it, many more wanted it and some even lobbied for it.

For the racegoers tucking into a warming pie and being summoned to bet by the vociferous bookmakers perched on the rails, this all felt a bit insignificant. "I don’t even get the difference," one punter said, but the uproar among jockeys has been deafening in the last month and now their cries have been heard at the BHA’s High Holborn offices.