Well done ITV for finally recognising this invaluable part of a punter's armoury

ITV Racing has been doing the sport a great service by broadcasting from smaller tracks such as Newton Abbot and Worcester at a time when they need all the exposure they can get, and it is also to be applauded for another development: the introduction of paddock expert Ken Pitterson at last week's Dante meeting at York.

The channel's regular punditry crew often make comments on the physique of horses before the race, but Pitterson added a new dimension to the team and his comments are invaluable having spent close to three decades paddock-side at all the major meetings.

Paddock analysis is not a major component in most punters' armoury – not least because you have to be at the races to carry out the exercise (and, let's face it, most of us haven't been racing for well over a year) – but it is a skill that has always been underrated and extends far further than the maxim 'a good big 'un will always beat a good little 'un'.