Ruthless owners leave turmoil behind them - and it's time the sport cracked down

One of the more enjoyable aspects of lockdowns lifting over the summer was how it enabled visits to racing yards to restart in earnest after a stop-start 18 months.

Much of the pleasure from being involved with horses is getting up close to them at home, learning about their personalities, their likes and dislikes, what people make of them and then seeing them hone their physiques on the gallops – hopefully giving encouragement as to their future prospects in the process.

It is all part of the ownership journey and one you take hand-in-hand with your trainer of choice through the many downs, and occasional transcendent and intoxicating ups, of having a horse in training.