A prime minister who likes racing and a bet can be only a good thing - just like Aidan O'Brien's transparency
One of the frustrations with betting on racing, or certainly my own betting on racing, is it is often only after the event that something becomes blindingly obvious.
The same can be true of judgements in a broader sense, which is why hindsight is such a useful resource, albeit not one that carries much weight with bookmakers. On other occasions, a statement seems so incontrovertibly true that opposition to it proves baffling. I had some experience of this over the weekend.
On Saturday Sir Keir Starmer and his family enjoyed a day at the races. The fact the prime minister went to Doncaster to watch the St Leger appeared from my perspective to be a manifestly positive development. Starmer was the first serving prime minister to attend the final Classic in 71 years, while not since John Major went to Aintree for the post-bomb scare Monday Grand National in 1997 had a prime minister made such a notable racecourse visit.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inLee Mottershead
Last updated
Copy- Racing has a lifelong responsibility to racehorses - deciding who is responsible is a vital next step
- The Arc will be without two superstars due to an outdated ban - racing can ill afford this act of self-harm
- York has been buffeted by fierce headwinds - but it remains a shining example to all racecourses
- The growth of women's sport has become a global phenomenon - racing must do more to take advantage
- British racing will soon have a new BHA chief executive and chair – but the sport does not need a sugar daddy
- Racing has a lifelong responsibility to racehorses - deciding who is responsible is a vital next step
- The Arc will be without two superstars due to an outdated ban - racing can ill afford this act of self-harm
- York has been buffeted by fierce headwinds - but it remains a shining example to all racecourses
- The growth of women's sport has become a global phenomenon - racing must do more to take advantage
- British racing will soon have a new BHA chief executive and chair – but the sport does not need a sugar daddy