There are ways to help the outside world come in from the cold

Being an internet column partly in a newspaper, Surf & Turf failed by 18 hours to lock in to the Twitter whip 'debate'. This troughed quickly, with Tom Kerr cast briefly as the most hated man in the universe (something like that – just normal debating society standards).

Then there was chat about the 'outside world' from people who need to pop their own bubble and get a grip. Do you ever hear anyone in football talk about the outside world? Perhaps the North Korea national side, but that would be about it.

Least of all, there were scenes of racing journalists thrashing each other with the offending article (the whip, not the Racing Post) for educational purposes. Interestingly, no one got a horse out and whipped that.

Like all Twitter stormclouds, Mr Whippy calmed to reveal a silver-ish lining. Proper debate was extracted from the bile processor, with good blog contributions by and . Then everyone shut up. A classic of the genre.

One place definitely in the outside world is Qatar, politically and economically shunned by neighbours, if not by racing or racing neighbours. It's not long until the Qatar Goodwood Festival | 'Glorious Goodwood', as Google puts it in the search result, equivocating like a heartbroken dandy who can't throw away a fraying favourite cravat.

There's nothing wrong with having your cake and eating it, though, or people wouldn't keep going on about wanting to do it, and Goodwood might have pulled it off.

There's been an effort to establish #QGF over the past three years, and it has slightly caught on, like a mild cold. From July 11 to July 20, it's been used 190 times (source: Tweetchup). #GloriousGoodwood remains, however, managing 96.

Goodwood (@Goodwood_Races) itself is the keenest #QGF user, but others have joined in. Artie's Kitchen (@Artieskitchen) a hearty-looking tapas cafe "in the heart of Chichester", uses both, like many probably will. It must be pointed out this is not just a random mention. No! Artie's is offering a free glass of "fizz" (leaving room for manoeuvre) for #QGF/#GloriousGoodwood racegoers who pop in and show their tickets.

Goodwood has given its a respray and it's impressive. Racing has to take its place in a list of 'sporting passions' – aka sports – with motoring, cricket, shooting, golf and flying, but there you are. The outside world, encroaching.

Under horseracing, there's a big gallery – big as in dimensions, not weight of content – that tells more of the outside world. There's a picture of two horses from behind, captioned "cavalry charge towards the finish line" (which might seem inaccurate, but there have been cuts to the forces), then Tinie Tempah, Pete Tong, a bowl of food, a chef (frankly not dressed appropriately for #QGF), a cheery racegoer, another DJ (I think – could just be a crazed #QGF raver), a family funday and another horse.

Still, two out of nine ain't bad and as they say about recipes, the best cooks don't sweat over proportions.

Also about now, Qipco, in branding terms Qatar's oblique cousin, has the . Is there any race supposedly more 'not what it used to be'? It doesn't even have a hashtag. Still, in the same period as the #QGF results, 514 tweets included "Ascot" and "King George", so the great race has presence. "You bring the colour" is the cryptic cry from marketing.

Postponed (left) wins the 2015 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes from Eagle TopCredit: Edward Whitaker

Trying to fault Ascot's online efforts is mainly a vain pursuit. The course is an exemplar of class, although its innovation at the royal meeting, the village enclosure, perhaps suffered from class segregation, according to the hindsight of Tyrone B on Tripadvisor: "As for the new village enclosure if you like seeing no racing and getting pissed up with some music maybe this is the place for you."

You gets what you, or someone else, pays for, though, as markandsusiepinchin point out: "Company treated us to a private box with a first class lunch. The service and menu were excellent. The view of the course from our box was perfect and a small flutter afterwards proved fruitful." Which was nice.

Anyway, it's not Royal Ascot, it's the King George: "the height of summer style and sophistication . . . quintessentially English". But wasn't that Royal Ascot? And have these people never been to Lovebox? If there's one accusation you could lob, it's that it could be almost too classy – like leafing through the Unattainable Lifestyles section of an airline brochure. Mind you, the lead pic on the Festival of Food and Wine page is those colourful macaroons you can get in M&S, so that's inclusive.

In the pursuit of internationalism, let's mention Galway. That's soon too, with an almost equally classy – and to trump the others for chutzpah it's got a trademark™, like Jay-Z and Beyonce's sprogs. Like Ascot, it's billed as a "highlight of the summer season". You suspect it will be a bit more raucous than the Chelsea Flower Show or Henley. Or even Lovebox.

These summer smashes might interest the outside world, but the question festers of whether big-time newcomers will return under their own steam, to Wolverhampton or suchlike.

In this week's Weekender, Simon Holt praised Saint-Cloud's recruitment efforts at an open day, where he tried a virtual reality mask that emulated riding over fences.

It gets you thinking. ITV Racing was going to be a big player and VR highlights of Cheltenham and Aintree were promised. But they weren't VR. They were 360-degree video. No helmets, no masks, just a fishy-eye take with weird-shaped people looming up. On the bends it looked like that fairground ride which slams you round 90-degree turns, but was that the point? VR is supposed to be immersive, not an animated hall of mirrors.

Racing broadcasters are missing a trick. They should start with the paddock – full immersion for the outside world in the experience of being a middle-aged bloke mainly standing still, but with a great long look at the horses. Or you could switch to @MCYeeehaa view and sort of lurch around, pointing. Seriously, though. It could work.

Twitter: @surfnturfRP