Fuming punters, weather woes and sleepless nights - is a clerk of the course becoming the impossible job?

It is becoming an increasingly familiar pattern. A major festival comes around and at some point the clerk of the course is going to be in the firing line.

It happened at Cheltenham in March, when the going description became a contentious issue throughout the week, leading to criticism from Willie Mullins and JP McManus, who withdrew favourite Fact To File from the Ryanair Chase less than an hour before the Grade 1 contest was run, arguing the ground was too quick for jump racing's championships.

It was a similar story at Flat racing's biggest meeting too, although quick ground was not the issue at Royal Ascot, rather a perceived draw bias towards the stands' rail that became the big talking point of the week.