MUCH of the conversation this week at Goffs centred on the news that John Osborne was no longer to be at the helm of the Irish National Stud. I have managed to remain fairly sanguine about Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, even the closure of Kempton Park, but this does make me want to join whatever club accommodates the indignant and offended.

Among my contemporaries in the thoroughbred industry it is hard to think of anybody held in higher regard than John Osborne. His many strengths include being informed rather than opinionated and an ability to put the bigger picture of the industry before the temptations of self-interest. In other words, he has the perfect credentials to serve the nation’s best interests.

The value of long-term relationships in the stud business is huge and, if cutting somebody adrift in his prime is following guidelines, it makes it no less ludicrous. I would also imagine that some of the shareholders in the stud’s key stallions have made, or maintained, their investments in the belief that these significant assets would be under John’s management. It is fortunate that only humans are subject to such regulations – imagine the consequences if Invincible Spirit had only been given seven years and then let go somewhere else. Let’s hope that something can be done to address a situation which has been received with unanimous dismay.