BADGER BEER, SIDELINED JOCKEYS, NO CLASSIC SPONSOR & IRISH NON-RUNNERS.

No one seems concerned that the long and unbroken run of the Badger Beer Chase, I believe the longest running sponsored National Hunt race at present, has come to an end, and that in these tough financial days has anone asked if the Woodhouse family intend to continue their sponsorship if Wincanton is not in a position to host the race next year? The BetMGM handicap chase today at Aintree is not the Badger Beer but a replacement race. If it was the Badger Beer it would have Badger Beer in its title. I still cannot see why the Badger Beer could not have been transferred to Newton Abbot, a racecourse local to the Brewers of Badger Beer, even if it is not located in Somerset. Taunton would have been a more appropriate venue, of course, though I guess it is in a similar situation to Wincanton and Exeter at the moment.

Most days in The Racing Post there is a list of suspended and injured jockeys. While virtually everything else published in The Racing Post is factually accurate, the list of suspended and injured jockeys is not. Whose responsibility it is to inform the keeper of this list of injuries and return to racing after injury, I cannot say. I suspect it may be the jockeys themselves, yet for instance in today's list, Paul Townend is down as injured, even though he rode a winner yesterday at Clonmel. Interestingly, all three of the Egan family are on the list, even though David rides In Ireland today and Alexandra seems back in action after injury. Cara Tuke is another who has appreared on the list for months now, even though during that period she has ridden a winner and is down to ride in the 6.30 at Southwell tomorrow. Sam Ewing, too, is on the list as injured, even though he was a winner yesterday. I doubt the fault lies with The Racing Post as it is most likely just a conduit in the process, yet what is the point of the list in aiding trainers to know what jockeys are injured at present if the list is not corrected on a daily basis?

Betfred have carried out their threat to withdraw sponsorship from all five classic races next season. It might have been a gesture of support for the sport if they could have at least continued sponsoring one of the five, though the blame lies, of course, with a government that insanely desires to offer welfare to illegal immigrants at the expense of British natives. Come on people, if there is a general election on December 10th, vote Reform and end the insanity. But, as unsettling as it is for the sport to lose sponsorship of five flagship races, this impasse does allow Newmarket, Epsom and Doncaster to seek-out new sponsors, perhaps sponsors fresh to the sport. We, I mean the marketing divisions of our top racecourses, have relied too much and for too long on global bookmakers to step into the breach, again demonstrating to government and our detractors the iron glove link between racing and betting. Horse racing needs betting revenue, of course, but the relationship should be of the velvet glove not the iron-clad.

Am I alone in being peeved by on-the-day withdrawals in Ireland. Yesterday at Clonmel it was a prime example of the air being taken out of the balloon of expectancy by the withdrawal of the odds-on favourite for the main race of the day. The day revolved around Il Etait Temps; I suspect quite a few good horses were re-routed to other races this month so as not to have to take-on the Champion 2-mile chaser. The ground was, as far as I could see through the monitor of my t.v., more or less as described in The Racing Post. As I have said in the past, though Willie Mullins did act at Cheltenham last season in accordance with yesterday's decision, that good ground was once said to do not harm to any horse. Dinoblue was also taken out yesterday, though a temperature was given as the reason. Was Willie Mullins fined for taking out Il Etait Temps? In this country he might have been. I very much doubt the ground had altered very much from the 4-day to the day of the race. Would Il Etait Temps have run if Mullins did not have a slightly lesser horse to win the race instead?