Licensing of bloodstock agents would be a positive move for the greater good

If not now, when? The case for the licensing of bloodstock agents had already been persuasive even before a Racing Post exposé revealed allegations that an individual purporting to be an agent had sought and received thousands of pounds from syndicate members by acting in the most unscrupulous manner.

Agents need to be licensed in order to reduce the possibility of anything like that happening in the future. A licensing system is every bit as essential to protect the good name and reputation of the vast majority of agents who conduct themselves with the sort of integrity we should expect.

Gary Woods, the founder of Empire International Bloodstock, could not be reached for comment, despite multiple attempts, when the Racing Post's Peter Scargill was working on his investigation. As such, we do not have his side of the story. The other side is thoroughly shocking.