Tomorrow sees the start of the Sunday racing season, delight for the public but dismay for many trainers and staff who will be working without much time off for many months.

Tomorrow sees Hamilton, Salisbury and Newmarket racing. Then there is a break - no Sunday racing until June 3 - but then into full swing with many evening fixtures plus a further 14 continuous Sunday meetings throughout the summer. That all represents 104 continuous days racing.

I agree that Sunday racing is good for the sport but I do feel that the workload for people in the industry is unfair - trainers, jockeys, staff, handlers etc.

I think that two Sundays racing per month would be quite adequate, particularly when you consider that there are also 113 evening fixtures in this 104-day period. It would never work, having a mid-week day off - people do enjoy their Sundays for relaxation. The workload on the jockeys is awesome, with them rushing from a day-time meeting to an evening fixture. Maybe the time has come to limit them to one meeting a day.

Thirsk finally stages its first meeting today. There are plenty of runners so a good crowd is expected.

I must mention the Alice Whitton Memorial Race, with two divisions, sponsored by one of my owners, Harry Whitton, from Thirsk, in memory of his wife who sadly died last year.

In his eighties, Harry's a great character and it's a lovely touch to honour his late wife in this way.

I've asked the editor of The Northern Echo, Peter Barron, to come along and present the trophy. Mind you, he's got a reputation as the world's worst tipster, so don't listen to a word he says.

Other sad news this week concerned the death of the best horse I've seen on a racecourse - Dubai Millennium. Owned by Godolphin and retired to stud last year, he won nine of his ten races and £2,752,610, including the Dubai World Cup. He is expected to have 70 foals next year and, hopefully, one might be good enough to live up to his outstanding memory.

Next week's runners from my stable include Northern Echo and Foxes Lair, ground permitting, at Newcastle on Monday.

I've already earmarked Foxes Lair as a promising type and we're hoping Northern Echo gets his nose in front this season, but both would prefer better ground.

Al Azhar could run a big race at Doncaster on Monday after coming out of his recent Pontefract race very well.

Today John O'Groats, a horse I think a lot about, runs at Haydock, where I think he'll perform with distinction.

Published: 05/05/01