A CURSORY read of recent articles in the press, and listening to news reports on radio and television, might lead the average person in the street to believe that horse racing in Ireland is currently in a bad place. These are stories regarding horse welfare, reports of injuries and positive ‘dope tests’.

I would like to look at the other side of the coin, and tell a different and more positive story. I am an Irish veterinary surgeon who has worked with horses in all equestrian disciplines, including racing, for 39 years. This included a spell of nine years in Britain. I have treated Derby winners and horses that have come last in races at local country tracks, all with equal concern and attention.