Election countdown heightens need to get racing's message across to all parties

There have been a few reshuffles and tweaks to the calendar over the years but for British racing the next few weeks mark the traditional culmination of the Flat campaign and the start of the jumps season proper.

The British political calendar has its own longstanding set-piece events too and in that sphere late September and early October is conference season. From the outside the party conferences have something of a resemblance to a series of Cheltenham Festivals. A lot of long days and late nights and difficult to find winners.

This year the atmosphere of conference season will be heightened by the expectation that there will be a general election in the next 12 months. There has to be a general election by January 2025, but the consensus is the country will go to the polls again next autumn, although there are some who believe it could be as early as May.