The sport is silly and snooty to impose a Group 1 ban on geldings like Rohaan

Once again, and not a moment too soon, there is a reason for racing. Thank heavens, there is also the opportunity to go racing.

Not quite 12 months ago, the sport's mostly uninterrupted era of existing behind closed doors began. The show kept going but with no punters or paying customers able to watch the action unfold from the showground. It is often said there is no racing without owners, which is true. Equally true is that without an audience to watch those owners' horses, the sport is not remotely viable.

That made Monday's return of crowds a cause for celebration. For most people, however, racing is a Saturday sport, a reason to be excited through the working week, not a profession but a pleasure. So it was that we saw panama hats at Goodwood, trilbies at Newmarket and rather younger men at Haydock fooling themselves into believing a suit should ever be accompanied by bare ankles.