THIS week’s news that Jockey Club Racecourses [JCR] are to follow Ascot in leaving the Racecourse Association [RCA] is being closely watched by senior Irish racing industry figures, anxious to see how the rift will impact Irish racing. The fracture of the RCA appears to mark a significant development in the complicated world of British racing politics. Unlike in Ireland, the funding of British racing is hugely dependent on a levy on betting turnover, which continues to fall.