Who knows when we'll get the Guineas but Japan has a cracker in store next week

It's hard to believe four weeks have now passed since the Cheltenham Festival. We are also now nearly at the point when four weeks will have been and gone since there was last any racing in Britain. Withdrawal symptoms are starting to set in.

I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon, which four weeks ago featured the Midlands Grand National, a race that in some years takes about four weeks to run. Truth be told, I can't remember off the top of my head who won it, but there was definitely a winner. There won't be a winner of the Craven Stakes, Nell Gwyn, Greenham or Scottish Grand National, all of which were due to take place next week. Efforts will be made to restage the Guineas, Derby and Oaks but I'm fearful for the Wood Ditton.

We are at least this year spared the annual debate about why the Easter racing programme in Britain is so unremarkable, save for the all-weather action on Good Friday. The truth is that every weekend cannot be big. Having a quiet Saturday makes the other Saturdays stand out. Having consistently blank Saturdays, as we're now accustomed to having, makes you yearn for the quiet Saturdays.