DON’T panic, it’s not an outbreak of infectious disease, it was only the unravelling of British Champions Day.

It had all looked to be building up perfectly when writing this column last Friday, then day by day, the meeting lost a top contender.

It started with Kingman’s sore mouth then it was Australia’s foot.

Then cameth the rain and one by one, even two by two, the big names, Kingston Hill, Taghrooda, Mukadhram, The Grey Gatsby, Rizeena, Toronado, Lightning Moon all departed.

Doubts still hang over Free Eagle and it left few champions on the card.

Moving the two-year-old Future Champions day at Newmarket to the Friday, has in a way, backfired, as it offers direct comparison as to what the ground conditions would be like if the meeting had been held there, in the old home of the Champion Stakes.

Having the big finale at the same track as Royal Ascot had looked a good idea initially but Newmarket invariably offers better autumn ground.

That said, conditions can be unpredictable once mid-September is passed and Dubai Millennium won the old September QEII on heavy ground. On Wednesday, we had good to firm at Punchestown and good to firm in places at Wetherby.

However, this year’s events now seem to raise more questions on whether British Champions Day, despite the two years featuring Frankel, is liable to suffer due to deteriorating ground conditions.

It’s going to take much discussion to work out the best way forward. Perhaps covers on the Ascot round track might help.

Or now that the meetings are on following days, perhaps combining the Newmarket and Ascot cards in a more similar way to the Leopardstown and Curragh races on Irish Champions Weekend cards would help select the best ground. It might mean moving the Champion Stakes or the QE II to Newmarket, all the Group 1 races don’t have to be on the Ascot card.