BHA's Northern Lights series a fine example of proactive policymakers

On a card dominated by quality but shrouded in a foggy gloom, it was Madeleine Tylicki's radiant smile that put the spring in racegoers' steps after a modest handicap hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

A capacity to throw up heartwarming storylines should always be one of racing's redeeming features. Tragedy and adversity are only ever a heartbeat away, but the game has an indecipherable ability to lure people into its bosom by persuading them to defy logic.

That irrational appeal is something that should be both protected and actively fostered, and it is incumbent on those in authority to ensure that the policies and structures are in place to safeguard the sport's future.