A baffling act of self-harm - trainers boycotting television interviews would damage them and the sport

Let's begin with a potential scenario for this coming Saturday.

Following Galopin Des Champs' latest tour de force, Willie Mullins waxes lyrical about the magnificent chaser in interviews seen by those watching the Leopardstown coverage on ITV and Racing TV. Mullins then goes on to talk about his earlier winners on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival, including star novice hurdler Final Demand, so impressive in the opening Grade 1 for British owners Bryan Drew and Caroline Tisdall.

The sport's dominant force also enjoys a productive day at Sandown, where Impaire Et Passe lands the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. The card's shoulder races go to British stables, yet the winning trainers, whose businesses are hardly being helped by the exodus of British-based jumps owners to Ireland (often for confusing reasons), reject the opportunity to promote themselves, their sponsors, their profession and the sport because a deadline to pay them £500,000 had passed earlier in the week.