While the solutions can only be found within Italy, the potential long-term fallout will be felt by the wider breeding community in particular.

Should the Italian authorities fail to pay all prize money arrears by the end of March this year, Italy will cease to be a member of the European Pattern Committee from the start of 2015. This would mean that all races that qualify for group status from that date forward will have that designation removed. So the winners of the best races in Italy will simply be acknowledged as blacktype in sales catalogues.