We have one runner tonight at Chelmsford

It is even hotter than yesterday and, with no wind, the temperature is flying up. At present we are at 20 degrees but it is set to go to nearly 25 once again. I think the forecast is for it to be slightly cooler over the weekend, but still dry. It’s been an interesting morning with a visitor or two calling in and plenty of lively chat about racing all over the world. It is amazing how many places people have worked in as the racing industry is worldwide with so many opportunities. Hamilton Hill and the Farm Canter have been the exercise of the morning.

Quanah ran a sound enough race yesterday. He was a bit unlucky not to finish a lot nearer as the gap closed and he got hit over the head by a whip when trying to mount a challenge. I think he would have finished third or fourth and that is an improvement on what he has shown so far this year. We went very early to post, which no doubt benefited him, plus the fast ground and five furlongs also seemed to suit.

We have one runner tonight at Chelmsford in what looks a very competitive contest. Everybody wants to run here as there are very few races over a mile six for this type of horse, hence the 15 runners. We are drawn at Stansted Airport, which won’t help, but she ran a sound enough race last time at this venue. She disappointed on her last outing but she was going the other way round, which I am not sure suited her. Hopefully she will be a lot better tonight.

There are headlines on the front of the Racing Post today about William Hill putting the axe to 700 shops, which will make 4,500 people redundant. Obviously this is not good for them but the other thing to think about is that each shop pays £30,000 per annum in media rights. This will mean a loss of up to £21m, a good lot of it which went to the racecourses and filtered down into prize money. If other bookmakers shut their shops, it looks like between £40m and £60m will be lost in this way. That alone, with the loss on the levy of 17m this year, will cause major problems for the future of racing.

In relation to the above piece the BHA announced yesterday that the fixture list is to be slightly cut for next year. This is just a pathetic move on their behalf as one more day at Christmas and two or three days in August means the loss of only a few fixtures, and a bit more time off for jump jockeys. Reading between the lines it sounds to me as if nobody agreed to anything and this measure was put into place under great sufferance. I personally don’t think they know what they are doing but, when you have so many different sections of the sport pulling in different directions, nobody will ever be happy.