'The BHA has gone a bit cold with us' - RSPCA chief on racing's big issues

It's a great pity to fall out with an old friend, to lose a trustworthy confidant and adviser. The impression within racing has been that the RSPCA has turned against the game in recent times and is no longer interested in dialogue, preferring instead to throw rocks from the outside, perhaps impressing some of its supporters with a show of aggression.

The latest and strongest evidence for that view came last month, after the publication of the whip review, a thorough piece of work which will result in significant change. Rather than acknowledge the effort made, the RSPCA responded with a press release under the headline 'Fury as encouragement whipping can continue', in which its director of policy said "the wellbeing of the horse is depressingly absent from these changes" and accused the sport of engaging in a PR exercise that did nothing more than tinker with the rules.

Strong stuff. But a source advises that in fact the venerable charity does not take such a bleak view of racing as might be inferred. It turns out the RSPCA operates these days from a base on London's South Bank about five minutes walk from the Racing Post's. So, with some trepidation, this reporter wanders round to see its chief executive, Chris Sherwood, expecting to be told off for having anything to do with the sport.