More trainers need to wake up and get on board with National Racehorse Week

We are on the eve of National Racehorse Week, a wonderful celebration of the sport and a vital drive for community engagement, but there are still signs too many trainers just don't get the importance of it.

There are 136 training yards, studs and aftercare centres currently listed on the National Racehorse Week from Saturday through to a week on Sunday 17 or as part of the following weekend's Henry Cecil Open Weekend in Newmarket. That is fractionally down on last year's total and still leaves an awful lot who aren't on the list.

Charlie Fellowes, chair of Newmarket's open weekend, rightly admonished those refusing to participate, citing not only the benefits of attracting new fans but also the responsibility of those within the industry to represent racing at such a crucial time.