It is Aintree Grand National day and appropriate that this column is dedicated to a long, hard slog of a different kind. Plenty of obstacles have been overcome this year as racing fans have spectated from a distance, with bated breath, as we clambered through the Covid-19 pandemic and a busy fixture list behind closed doors.

There are many people to be credited for where we are in our industry today, and one of the real triumphs for our sport during this pandemic has been the successful continuation of racing, and the professional and steadfast way in which it has been handled by the entire racing community, led by senior medical officer at the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), Dr Jennifer Pugh, and her team.