I’M not shy of criticising the racing authorities when things go wrong, and I’m sure I’ll be doing more of the same in the coming months, but criticism of the stewards at Sedgefield recently, and of BHA procedures in general, were well wide of the mark after the track’s big race of the season, the Durham National. This saw only three of the seven runners finish, with leader Red Giant pulling up after missing out the second last fence, and it was that manoeuvre which caused consternation, and a lengthy stewards’ enquiry.

The fence which jockey Sean Quinlan steered his mount around rather than over, had been bypassed on the previous circuit after the fall of Fact Of The Matter, whose rider, Page Fuller, sustained a broken collarbone, and had to be attended by medics.