Pressing the detonator without a clear plan - was this the Jockey Club chief's Donald Trump moment?

As a business leader who has taken tough decisions that have had negative consequences for some of those impacted, Jim Mullen must be well used to being called names. Whether he has ever previously been compared to Donald Trump is unclear.

For some in the racecourse sector, that is how Mullen is being painted following the Jockey Club's decision to leave the Racecourse Association at the end of the year. They argue that just as the US president went to war with Iran without seemingly knowing what would happen once the fighting stopped, the Jockey Club has thrown a grenade into the British racecourse sector without offering a clear plan for peace.

Mullen was surely on the money when outlining many of the problems ailing British racing. In recent days he has spoken about the declining foal crop crisis and the interwoven problem of the bloated fixture list. He is absolutely right to argue that both those issues represent major threats to the sport's future health. It is questionable whether some of the other points he has made can withstand the same scrutiny. Making those points has arguably served to further heighten tensions within an increasingly fractured racecourse landscape.