There's still a lot of love for Epsom out there - now the track should focus on quality over quantity

How do you deal with a problem child? That's the question on many people's minds after Epsom's general manager Tom Sammes, responding to issues that had seen the course described as the Jockey Club's "problem child" to my colleague Lee Mottershead during his research into a recent special report on the racecourse group's issues, outlined his plans to rejuvenate the track. 

The course has struggled to perform commercially for the Jockey Club and faces a tough climb back to glory, but it's hard not to be struck with a worrying sense of deja vu when Sammes outlined hopes of a week-long festival built around the Derby. 

It feels like only yesterday we were having the same conversation about extending Cheltenham to five days, a suggestion which sparked notable backlash. Fears of diluting the product and reducing field sizes eventually won out as the Jockey Club listened to concerns and the four-day fixture prevailed.