Why the horse must always come first when presenting racing to the public

One of the most popular sporting performance metrics in recent years has been the concept of marginal gains. The idea that, through detailed analysis, small improvements can be identified which when added together can bring about a significant benefit to overall performance.

It gained particular traction through the work of Sir Dave Brailsford and his work with the UK track cycling team, which led to the gold rush of medals at recent Olympics. Each component part was stripped back and analysed – from design to nutrition to clothing – with small enhancements identified, leading to the much-improved success of the overall package.

While for many the result is everything, there are signs that within certain sports such a strategy is now taken to such extremes as to actually be adversely affecting audience appeal.