Positivity from racing's leaders put to the test as bookmakers light a fuse under levy talks

There once was a time when you could rely on certain things happening come October in British racing.

The month would start with the Cambridgeshire, return to Newmarket for the Champion Stakes, move on to Doncaster for the Racing Post Trophy and end with a good old-fashioned row about the levy.

Times have changed and the autumn schedule is different to 20 years ago. Even the annual barney with bookmakers about racing's funding has become a thing of the past since the government reformed the levy in 2017.