WHILE the whip bans and the apparent intention to remove it from all horse racing imagery seems to be the agenda across the water, headlines of 20 jockeys breaching whip rules in the build up to the Festival are surely more harmful to the sport’s image as the BHA implement their new rules on the use of the whip. How the aftermath of the Festival plays out will be interesting.

It will be interesting how it would pan out on the flat too where obviously more is at stake, for example, if a big operation lost its top jockey for a major race, due to a slight infringement.

The airbrushing of the whip from recent promotional posters was the latest ridiculous step to appease. And Cheltenham Festival marketing deciding to use the word ‘Extraordinary’ as their hook word on their posters. It sounds like a word only an older UK politician might use. Do the ‘GenZ’ even use the word “extraordinary” in their vocabulary? it seems miles away from the ‘banter’ and ‘bangers’ you are often subjected to.

But this new younger audience is guaranteed to look at their phones more than the horses. Image is everything. Bold and bright, colour is needed, not dimmed down as those Cheltenham posters were.

We’re told ‘new recruits’ are more likely to be concerned about horse welfare. Irish racegoers are still more focused on the core of the sport even if, paradoxically, the majority of the recent welfare-related cases came on this side of the water.

Those promoting the sport must be in tune with what it offers to younger people by way of participation and excitement.

Full Swing has been the latest must-see addition to sports documentaries. Golf might not have a hugely diverse audience across ages and genders but the programme producers could not have picked a better year for their new show as there was plenty of conflict and enough animosity among the competitors to generate a proper drama around the big competitions. Even non-golf fans would have found it engaging.

What struck you was the money, the colour, getting close-up and personal with the protagonists, the bit of conflict. Would racing offer that?

Racing, especially our jump racing, couldn’t compete with that level of glamour. Unfortunately the fact that racing’s stars are often friends does not make good drama.

But the stories are there. From a breeder, an owner, a jockey, a punter. It might take a bit more work to merge them together but for racing to be embraced in the same manner, it needs creative thinking and coordination.

In the US, the intended Kentucky Derby build-up series will set the standard because it is a race that can throw up a crazy dream result and have a span of diverse characters.

Excitement, spills and thrills, the risk and reward by connections and punters should trump golf but that needs to be captured up close. More jockey-cam and drone footage needs to be incorporated. It needs to be more visible than tagging it ‘extraordinary’.

JUMP racing didn’t fare too well last week as Newbury’s Sunday fixture began with a walk over and had two three-runner and two four-runner races due to much faster than normal going and the track not allowed to water.

While we are in a much better state this side of the sea, with regard to competitiveness, the increased domination by the big yards poses a different growing threat.

The Champion Bumper market contains seven Willie Mullins-trained runners in the top 10.

Our correspondent Margie McLoone unearthed a rather different scenario back in 1983, at Navan on Saturday, March 5th.

That day, there were 19 runners in the final bumper of the day. But that was the second division! There were also 19 runners in the first division.

The two divisions of the Balrath INH Flat Race were both were ridden by Mr T.M. Walsh - the Francis Flood-trained Charlemount which beat the Mr A.J. Martin-ridden Papadrim by four lengths and the James O’Haire-trained Typical which beat the Mr W.P. Mullins-partnered Tigeen Bawn.

THIS week saw the retirement of one of the most popular jumping horses in training in Bristol De Mai. In an era where horses seem to race for only a few years, he never missed a season from his first run as a three-year-old in 2014 – nine years ago at Royan La Palmyre.

He won a British Grade 1 on his first outing in the country in the Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle that December and another Grade 1 as a five-year-old novice chaser in the Betfred TV Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase in 2016. Then there were those three Betfair Chase wins, including the famous 57-length win over Cue Card in 2017. Despite no Festival wins, he won’t be forgotten among the durable stars of the sport.

What happens next?

WITH the whip becoming an unmentionable in British racing, could we next see jockeys told not to wave the whip in celebration on returning to the winner’s enclosure?

Practically every celebratory photo from last year had the rider waving the whip coming into the winner’s enclosure.

Watch this space.

Chris Liddle@TheMackemRacer

Im all for the punishment fitting the crime, but surely banning someone for twice as long for offending in a better class race is nothing to do with welfare?

James Barbour@jim_barbour

The BHA should survey their current customers and ask-Would you be less likely 2 continue 2 attend races for either of the following The top jockeys may not be able 2 ride @ the meeting you are goin 2 or the great race you just watched will have a different result in 2 weeks time.

Ross Millar@rosscojmill

It finally makes sense! UK based jockeys will have adapted by Cheltenham while Irish jockeys will all get 60 day plus bans meaning they miss Aintree and Punchestown.

Lack of jockeys means Irish trainers put horses to grass early leaving the UK team a clear run at the prizes!