Whip changes have some merit in isolation but are part of a worrying pattern

Anyone paying attention to the tinkering that has gone on over the past decade probably won't have been taken aback by British racing's latest dramatic whip revamp.

We've been conditioned to expect more concession of ground because the authorities in Britain have become consumed by fears over public perception of the sport and at every remove have acquiesced to the noise of a vocal minority.

Again, there is maybe a cultural divide at play here as this perceived popular movement against racing doesn't have the traction in Ireland that we are led to believe it has in Britain. Then again, an Ipsos UK poll earlier this year doesn't exactly bear that out either.