IT is still strange that the flat jockeys’ and flat trainers’ championships in Britain do not finish on the same day. Oisin Murphy was crowned champion jockey on British Champions Day at Ascot two weeks ago, yet the trainers’ championship rolls on.

It is close too at present. Going into the Balmoral Handicap, the last race on Champions Day at Ascot, Aidan O’Brien had closed the gap on John Gosden to just over £65,482, thanks largely to Magical’s win in the Champion Stakes and Kew Gardens’ win in the Long Distance Cup.

If Amedeo Modigliani had won the Balmoral Handicap, the Galileo colt would have netted £155,625 for Aidan O’Brien, and that would have taken him into the lead in the British trainers’ championship, even if the John Gosden-trained Lord North had bagged the £46,600 for finishing second, which he did. But it wouldn’t have seen him crowned champion.

Sense

The Irish National Hunt championships finish on the last day of the Punchestown Festival now, which makes absolute sense. The flat championships finish on the last day of the turf flat season, at Naas tomorrow, which also makes sense.

The British National Hunt championships now finish on Bet365 Gold Cup day at Sandown. Also sensible. But the flat jockeys’ championship finishes on British Champions Day at Ascot, while the trainers’ championship runs on to the end of the year. Try explaining that one to someone who has a peripheral interest in racing.