Farcical whip mess shows it's wishful thinking to expect more of sport's leaders

There's nothing like a rendition of Auld Lang Syne to stir up a bit of groundless optimism for racing's authorities.

Every year we sit in the cheap seats and hope for better when the dawn rises on a new annum. It's human nature, that inclination to believe that as a species we are fundamentally disposed to learn from experience and implement smarter ways of doing things.

Then January 2 rolls around and the same old dysfunctional reality digs its heels in for another 12 months. Just look at the ongoing mess of a situation the BHA is orchestrating with its whip myopia in Britain.