Sir, - I was fortunate to earn a living from racing through the medium of the newspaper industry, and over those 40 mostly enjoyable years I watched as the sport went from a bit player internationally to one of the great success stories.

Irish trainers are now proudly and rightly regarded as the best in the world, as are the breeders and jockeys. With that comes responsibilities, especially to the lifeblood of the sport, the punters.