IT is becoming a repetitive theme in this column in recent weeks but the finishing time of some race meetings continues to look both unnecessary and hard to fathom.

Lately there has been some striking examples of this with the Phoenix Stakes card at the Curragh several Sundays ago concluding at 5.55pm. The last race on the final day of the Galway Festival earlier this month was 5.50pm and a stand alone flat meeting at Killarney last month concluded at 8.55pm.