NOBODY appreciates the challenges facing racing more than those professionally involved with it, but if you were to read everything that is written about the sport you might wonder if it is time to bolt the stable door for good, and just walk away.

After more than 180 years, racing will cease in Singapore in October, four days after the running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The day after that great sporting and iconic race, representatives of all the racing nations in the world gather for a conference, and it will be somewhat sombre to be saying goodbye to one of its member countries.