Calling all punters: the Horserace Bettors Forum needs your help

The Horserace Bettors Forum needs you, possibly. At any rate, they need someone, who must have plenty of interest in horseracing and betting as well as plenty to say on those subjects.

"We're after enthusiasm," Sean Trivass tells the Front Runner. "I would put that top of my personal list. And a breath of fresh air. There's nothing wrong with the current constitution of the HBF but a fresh pair of eyes may help."

A racing journalist by trade, Trivass has already served on the HBF for a couple of years and will be around for at least another year as any new members find their feet. "You don't have to be a £1,000-a-week punter," he says. "We're equally happy with a once-a-week Lucky 15 punter, as long as they're enthusiastic and looking at the industry and saying: 'Why don't we do this?'"

Set up in 2015, the HBF is the means by which those of us who bet on racing and thereby make a significant annual contribution to its coffers are now finally able to have a say in how it should be run. Obviously, something like it should have been created decades ago, for reasons of simple justice as well as enlightened self-interest.

Anyway, it now exists and is a means for the interests of punters to be recognised and taken into account by the industry. While it may not yet have the kind of clout that some would wish, it is vital for all our sakes that it is given a chance to prove its worth over time, to grow in significance and influence.

Asked for his response to any doubters who use phrases like "talking shop", Trivass says: "Come and join us or support us. The more people who take an interest or fill in our polls and surveys, the more teeth we will have and the more other parts of the betting industry will listen to what we have to say."

Meetings have been taking place over Zoom for the past 18 months, saving the need for travel, at least for the time being. "You do need to work between meetings, I think that needs to be got across," Trivass adds.

"It's not hundreds of hours but you can be given things to do, like updating the website or arranging guests for the next meeting. It's not shoved down anyone's throats, we ask for volunteers.

"I enjoy it. I find it intellectually challenging. It's been a big learning curve. There's lots of things going on behind the scenes that I wasn't aware of.

"No-one is forced to pursue some aspect they're not keen on. There are so many aspects of interest in racing that there will be something that will appeal to everyone. All we're after is some assistance."

In the time that I've been keeping tabs on its work, I can recall the HBF pressing for action in relation to bookmakers' terms and conditions, starting price overrounds and successful gambles on horses with no form. Recently, it made a submission on behalf of all punters to the BHA's whip consultation.

Trivass says he has been pressing for punters to be told exactly when a horse moves from one stable to another, rather than finding out only when an entry is made. There is naturally scope for a new member to press on with any pet project of their own.

Anyone interested in joining the HBF should read this page for more detail. Applications must be made by email before the end of the month, ten days from now.

Returning to Friday's discussion of horses that might tackle marathon races on consecutive weekends, someone got in touch to point out what Ebony Jane did back in 1994. Having run third in the Irish National on Easter Monday, giving weight to all the other finishers, she went to Aintree five days later and finished fourth on heavy going. Indeed, she was leading until a few strides before the second-last.

There indeed was a tough horse. All six of her sons won races, including The Minack, who landed Ascot's pre-Christmas Silver Cup in 2011 under Ruby Walsh.

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