IN the aftermath of a Cheltenham Festival that really ticked every box in showcasing the sport and the feel-good satisfaction boxes, it was a bit of back to reality with a mid-week card in Britain at Sedgefield mustering just 32 runners over six races. And a controversial unseated rider incident that didn’t exactly show racing in a good light.

It was strange – or maybe it wasn’t – to see that, even after Cheltenham, many people still hold the opinion that racing exists primarily for betting purposes.