I AM often curious how the term ‘Sport of Kings’ used to describe racing gets some people’s temperature raised.

Yes, in 2024 the Royal Ascot show represents a lot of what we might find outdated in normal life but you could not argue with the view that this whole week was most enjoyable.

Too many big owners? Playgrounds of the rich?

Day one of Cheltenham had winners for Robcour, Rich Ricci, Sean Mulryan and J.P. McManus. Yes, it’s great they love National Hunt racing but they too are well removed from ordinary Paddy the Irishman.

Ascot day one’s winners included owners Nurlan Bizakov, one in the old Sangster colours, an Aussie winner, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and Shadwell Estate Company Ltd.

But the winners were produced by breeders with far less funds.

The success of Wathnan Racing over the three days will fill many pockets. Extremely wealthy owners were ever thus in racing, and no one could argue that the supporting stories of the likes of Billy Loughnane, Sean Levey, Gerry Keane and many of those who supply the grassroots of flat racing benefit from investments by new owners.

The enthusiasm captured on TV of owners David Howden (Running Lion) and of Clive Washbourn just before his mare Caius Chorister ran in the Gold Cup was refreshing.

So too was the extended coverage and interviews by Australian trainer Henry Dwyer following Asfoora’s Group 1 King Charles III Stakes success.

Blue blood came through on the track too. Israr by Sea The Stars out of Oaks and King George winner Taghrooda. Doha also by the brilliant six-time Group 1 Derby and Arc winner out of the dual Arc winner Treve.

But it’s never that easy. Pledgeofallegiance cost 450,000gns and only won £56,694 in a handicap.

And if you think the old “best to the best” gets you to Ascot, look at the Ribblesdale winner Port Fairy, out of a mare whose from figures were 000009 in her six runs and a best rating of 47.

It might look all glamour and glitz but there is a lot of hard work rewarded in these five days.

IF you were to pick a random movie title to describe this racing week – The Good The Bad And The Ugly would be a pretty appropriate one.

The world is watching Royal Ascot went the press releases this week.

But don’t look too far behind the scenes. It was lucky that Ascot took all the attention in such a positive way.

The week began with a recording of Shark Hanlon’s horsebox, towing a flat trailer containing a visibly dead horse through a village, appearing on social media.

People will choose whether or not to believe the explanation of the trainer, but many may be sceptical.

It may not be as casual as the initial Gordon Elliott statement in 2020 – ‘I received a call and, without thinking, I sat down to take it’ incident – but it is another example of racing people being far too casual in showing simple respect for the horses they have in their care. And of how this looks to the wider public.

All those licensed have a responsibility to behave in a way that never brings bad publicity to the sport.

Yes, accidents happen, but there are laws around the movement of fallen animals. It takes little expertise to tie a tarpaulin or any plastic covering on to a trailer.

To allow your branded truck to be seen transporting a dead horse, uncovered on a flat trailer, in public, and it lying below the branding of #TeamHewick on the back of the box, and all the good promotion that horse has received – it just lacks such basic cop-on.

Then to Thursday and the racing and Dept of Agriculture officials questioned by the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts.

Inevitably the revelations in the RTÉ Investigates programme were brought up.

Michael Sheahan of the Dept of Agriculture didn’t present the most robust defence. We were told: “Abuse didn’t happen within the slaughter house – what happens next door, we would not have known.”

It was asked if the animals could be inspected the evening before, when you would logically assume animals may have been present on the farm, and on lands where the Department had received complaints previously on animal welfare.

It beggars belief to the wider world with concerns of welfare in racing, that officials can enter a premises licensed as an abattoir every week and never think to inspect the rest of the operation.

“The Departmet is the regulator!” – TD Verona Murphy expressed disbelief that many more must agree with.

“You might call it a technicality,” came the reply, explaining that the building where the filming took place was not accessed by the Department.

It was hardly acceptable that this was how things were allowed to operate and such an open goal was left to abuse and highlight. The racing media will be called upon to defend the sport but when the authorites and professionals within the game are so lax, it becomes a depressing task.avid_stewart

Getting to the point where I don’t know how many more grotesque welfare videos the racing industry can withstand. Penalties need to be much more severe so this smallest minority can be eradicated.

Michael Teeney Sport@mteeneyracing

Love how much these big races mean to international connections there is some very prestigious races in this country that will never be replicated regardless of prize money, we need to protect this sport, it’s so unique there really is nothing like it

Richard Farquhar@RCFarquhar

Bar a couple of gripes (awful WiFi on Tuesday & horses late into paddock) @Ascot puts on one hell of a show & proves itself again & again to be the jewel in racing’s crown. I spoke to a good few racegoers from overseas, who were just blown away by the magnificence of it all.

Dr Simon@DrSimonCMP

Royal Ascot punting not going well. If I backed King Charles to arrive in a horse and carriage, he’d probably get the bus in

Chris (Dawn Approach Fan)@TheDawnApproach

Kyprios v Trawlerman that was a brilliant duel! Two honest horses giving absolutely everything there. Kyprios is so hardy in a battle he bloody loves getting down and dirty.