British racing is in a self-inflicted mess - and it's one 30 years in the making

There's been an awful lot written about racing politics of late. It's a labyrinthine subject, yet in my formative years it seemed important to stay abreast. You couldn't really offer an opinion without a basic understanding of how things worked in the so-called 'corridors of power' of British racing.

Rewind the clock 30 years and those corridors of power actually existed. They were to be found inside a nondescript building at Portman Square, in central London. The Jockey Club exercised absolute control over racing. Those who ran the sport were unelected and autocratic and, largely because of that, the club was obliged by government to cede power to what was then the British Horseracing Board.

That was in 1993, since when the identity of those who actually run British racing has become increasingly opaque.