US Navy Flag trumps the white noise – but it's a close-run thing for racegoers

At Ascot on Saturday the first race was at 12.45 and Newmarket kicked off at 1.05, which are the sort of times you expect at Fontwell in deepest December.

The reason for these sparrow's fart starts was that ITV had to juggle its racing coverage with live coverage of the dead rubber between England and plucky little Belgium in Putinsagangstaburg or some such outpost of Mother Russia.

But York, also televised, was not having any of it and began proceedings at the more genteel hour of 1.55.