IT’S Derby weekend in Britain and France, with Royal Ascot just over a week away, and the height of the flat season.

But, as noted by some trainers, with Ballinrobe on Monday and Tuesday, Punchestown Wednesday, Tramore yesterday and Saturday and Kilbeggan on Sunday, you would have every reason to think it’s the jumps season.

Six National Hunt meetings at the end of May/beginning of June might seem odd in what is the flat season, but then you look at the quality of the cards and compare it to the flat one at Fairyhouse on Thursday. It’s beginning to stretch bit thin though with small fields at Kilbeggan and Tramore. It’s easy to see, both for punters and racing fans, to attract interest and attendance, which is the more attractive to racecourses. That’s assuming, of course, that the quality and competitiveness of racing is what draws the interest.

Trainers with summer jumpers are very well catered for and it’s almost a two division system. A Premier League of jumpers through the winter and a Championship in the summer, with quite a few relegated into the summer league.

Trainers with big flat strings have a point in wondering about the race scheduling, but if providing horses for courses is the objective, the evidence to back it up is less easy to compile.