Chance for racing to take a stand over violence against women in wake of Hunt family tragedy

Just over a week ago John Hunt's family suffered the most unimaginable loss, with his wife Carol and two daughters Hannah and Louise murdered in a calculated and brutal fashion.

The response since from the racing community has been one of love and support. There has been a strong flow of kindness, both publicly and in private, from those who knew John and from those who simply respected his output as fans of the sport.

A fund-raising page set up by fellow broadcasters Matt Chapman and Richard Hoiles has raised more than £80,000, highlighting how everyone wants to do what little they can to bring a drop of comfort to John and his daughter Amy, while the accompanying words of support won't leave many dry eyes.

The response highlights one of racing's greatest strengths – it is a close-knit community which makes a great effort for those who are suffering. Now, out of the incomprehensible evil inflicted upon the Hunts, there is a chance for the sport as a whole to take a strong, industry-wide position on an incredibly important issue.

This was a truly horrendous act of violence against three women. National Police Chief's Council statistics from 2021 show a woman was killed by a man every three days in the UK, while domestic abuse made up 18 per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales.

These are appalling statistics and ones racing should use its collective voice to highlight. One of the sport's greatest assets, particularly in the modern sporting landscape, is that it is one of the very few in which men and women compete against each other as equals, but that also puts it in a strong position to champion causes that impact women.

It is women who suffer as a result of male violence and consequently women, generally speaking, are more used to having such conversations, but now we also need men to step up and take responsibility. Simply put, male violence against women doesn't happen without men.

There are a lot of organisations already doing a tremendous amount of work in this regard for the sport to partner with in order to drive change.

Football has shown us, by backing the Rainbow Laces and Kick It Out campaigns, just how powerful an impact sport can have in moving the needle, and all of us in racing should use our voices not just to offer support to John and Amy but also to take a strong position on a wider societal issue in the hope of reducing future suffering.