Why we must not close The Old Curiosity Shop

The tedious debate and faux outrage over the small field sizes at Kempton overshadowed racing on Monday.

So what if there were two match races on the card? They were both great contests as it turned out, with the aggregate winning distance less than four lengths.

Variety is the spice of life, so they tell us, so let’s embrace two-runner races, 30-runner races, heavy ground, fast ground and even the odd cock-up in British racing. It’s all part of the eccentric appeal and keeps the sport interesting.