Nearly two-thirds of races in Britain last year were off late - and it's a problem that's getting worse and worse

There aren't many things that unite people in this increasingly fractured and divided sport as much as the frustration felt by racegoers, bookmakers, punters and TV viewers over the issue of seemingly endless delays to races.

In an interview with the Racing Post last month, ITV Racing's lead commentator Richard Hoiles said that combating delays to the start of races was his main desire for the sport in 2024 in order to improve the experience of viewers and racegoers alike, describing punctual start times as "the absolute god of terrestrial television".

Yet, at a time when the growing importance of a worldwide betting audience via the World Pool makes getting races off on time even more vital for British racing's fortunes, research conducted by the Racing Post now reveals just how badly the sport is getting things wrong.