Some jockeys are more fashionable than others - they are not necessarily better

Prior to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes, Ascot's paddock was occupied by a handful of Europe's finest middle-distance thoroughbreds. At all points of the afternoon it was no doubt filled by a considerably larger number of people waiting to receive their ballot papers for the Conservative Party leadership contest.

Among the top tier of participants, that's probably a fair reflection of British racing's demographic. When Nick Luck hosted the 2019 Racehorse Owners Association awards on the night of the United Kingdom's most recent general election, he jokingly tried to get vocal backing for Jeremy Corbyn. People laughed because they knew it was akin to asking JP McManus for a detailed analysis of his Cheltenham Festival handicap hopes a month out from the meeting – or even during it.

There are, however, exceptions to every rule. The demographic of King George-winning riders would not normally include someone like PJ McDonald. That is not meant as a slur on him, simply a reflection of reality. Thankfully, this has not been a normal year.