Why we have to let geldings run in all of our best races

The case of whether or not last week's Wokingham winner Rohaan should have been permitted to run in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup is a curious one, as it prompts questions to be asked about the structure of Britain's best races and how they in turn transform the breed.

Geldings like Rohaan may not be able to reproduce, but to value them on that alone is to undersell their importance.

For example, if he – or indeed Jersey winner Creative Force – had beaten Dragon Symbol and Campanelle in the Commonwealth Cup, it would have exposed the limitations, whether physical or mental, of his contemporaries.