The RSPCA: big moment as a great friend to racing passes on the baton

It would be easy to view racing and the RSPCA as opposing forces, yet behind the scenes the two groups have sustained pragmatic dialogue as they seek to preserve a vital point of balance.

David Muir, 76, was tasked with treading this delicate tightrope for 21 years as racing consultant to the charity, holding a mirror up to the sport and striving for reforms while at times pushing back at his employers to ensure the relationship remained productive.

It has not always been a straightforward task, particularly when familiar points of tension such as the whip and fatality rates have been readily and vocally scrutinised in the court of public opinion.