Delays in answering key questions creating a landscape as challenging as Covid

This autumn promises to be a pivotal phase for British racing and, once the period of mourning following the Queen's death has ended, a number of questions will need to be resolved.

How quickly that might happen is another matter entirely. In the short term, businesses across racing are facing a financial hammer blow from the soaring cost of energy bills and had last week been hoping for clarity about the assistance they are set to receive from government.

Last month the Jockey Club predicted an increase in costs of £2.5 million next year after its fixed-price energy deal expired, while trainer Rod Millman told the Racing Post his energy costs had been set to more than quadruple from £3,000 per year to more than £13,000.