IT’S hard to get away from the debate about violence at racecourses, but the subject is something of a minefield, with everyone seeming to have their own hot take on why the unsavoury incidents which have marred racedays at Ascot and Goodwood in recent weeks have happened, and how such behaviour should be tackled.

It’s easy to let pre-existing prejudices colour our views on the subject, and it’s clear that this isn’t a phenomenon unique to racing.

What can be agreed is that the issue needs to be tackled both on a societal level, and a pragmatic one, with the former a particularly nasty nettle to grasp, and clearly more complex than it is often portrayed. Alcohol consumption has gone hand-in-hand with racing since the sport’s inception, and boozing and fighting have also been bedfellows since time immemorial, but it’s rarely a simple case of cause and effect, and the foulness which spills out in public is never far beneath the surface.

MOB CULTURE

A drinking culture is a dangerous thing, but it’s the mob culture underneath which is the destructive element, and why it should be so prevalent now, particularly in affluent, metropolitan England, is an issue not easily tackled.

The latter issue is not about dealing with the collective psyche, but merely one of knowledge and resources, and the area on which racecourses must focus.

We are all familiar with how trouble develops in crowded social settings, and while it is very difficult to stop those who might cause trouble gaining entry to racecourses, dealing with the prospect of trouble is much easier than tackling the fallout afterwards.

The vast majority of people on a day/night out, whether it be to a sporting event, concert or nightclub, simply want to enjoy themselves without bothering others or being bothered, and the tiny minority who do start trouble tend to drag others into their vortex of discord.

SECURITY

An increased security presence would surely be welcomed by almost everyone, and would enable anti-social behaviour to be tackled before it escalates, with zero tolerance the most effective policy.

Too often, those responsible for dealing with such issues at racetracks are woefully unprepared for the job - and that includes bar and catering staff at the front line who are often young and inexperienced casual recruits.

There is no place for complacency or costcutting when dealing with the numbers that courses expect to attract, and they cannot be seen to fall behind the standards expected of city-centre pubs and clubs who have learnt to deal with the logistics of the modern drinking crowd.

Still, Ascot and Goodwood can take comfort in the fact that the people having a punch-up on their turf are always immaculately turned out, so at least the dress code is working.

On the subject of zero tolerance, the stewards at Perth seemed to be taking the policy on board when handing a two-day riding ban to 7lb claimer Jack Andrews for failing to ride out for eighth place in a three-mile handicap hurdle on Wednesday.

Andrews was riding Landecker for trainer Nick Alexander, and gave his mount a good ride to get into a challenging position before the home turn, after which he gradually faded under pressure, and was well out of contention at the final flight, with only one rival behind.

The horse had clearly nothing to give, and Andrews sensibly allowed him to coast up the run-in, where he was passed by Maraweh who eventually filled eighth spot.

Under new rules, there was prize money down to that position, and the rider’s failure to ride out was picked up by the stewards, who played the “rules are rules” card and banned the unfortunate jockey. It doesn’t take a genius to work out how wrong-headed this is, and it’s not as if the authorities have their hands tied.

While it’s true that riders are required to ride out to the line unless they feel there is a welfare issue, the rule is more honoured in the breach than the observance, if I may mangle Shakespeare.

There is an issue with prize money here, and that is ostensibly why action was taken, but if we are to take a zero-tolerance approach to jockeys who don’t ride out tiring horses when tailed off and out of the placings, then we are merely storing up trouble for the future. And nobody wants trouble, do they?