Jockeys deserve our sympathy and support - but saunas cannot be the answer

At the heart of the saunas debate, once you peel away the sensationalism, red herrings and anger, is a story of jockeys who are suffering. Presented with their testimonies, it is impossible not to feel sympathy. That does not mean returning saunas to racecourses would be the right thing to do. 

This column could head down many different alleyways. It might argue the current landscape is broadly similar to the one that existed during Covid, when jockeys received a 3lb pandemic allowance on top of the longstanding 3lb safety allowance. That safety allowance has now been increased to 4lb and almost all race weights have risen by 2lb. In theory, therefore, a jockey whose minimum weight was previously 8st 10lb ought now to be working up from 8st 12lb.

That's the theory. Sometimes theory and practice do not work in tandem. In theory, the sport believed the Professional Jockeys Association was supportive of the sauna ban, primarily because that was its stated position. Now that position has changed. What has not changed are the reasons why a reintroduction of saunas would be hard to achieve.