No fanfare over the death of this unconventional lord - yet he embodies British racing’s most profound change

The death in June of the Earl of Rosebery made no impact on the racing world, which was not surprising because he never had anything to do with it. Yet this unconventional lord embodied what has been the most profound change in British racing over the last few decades.

During this time, the sport has been transformed from an insular playground for local aristocrats into a global industry dominated by foreign plutocrats.

Rosebery's grandfather and father were among the small clique of lords who ruled British racing for centuries through the Jockey Club, which they treated as a private club for their own benefit.