In case you didn’t know, the Grand National Steeplechase will be run at Ballarat on Sunday,   it was not listed in the industry publication, ‘Inside Racing’, due to a late decision it missed the dead line for printing.

The only alternative for any publicity is the form guides in the Sunday newspapers, and by the time the papers are delivered, the majority of people have already planned their weekend activities.

Racing Victoria has to have a hard look at jumping races; it’s a bit like yesterday’s bread, stale! There is no interest any more, a lot of bandaids have been used but they have not covered the wound.

Jumps racing is mortally wounded, it can never be revived, it has lost its major facility, it is tethering on a thin thread.

When Flemington closed its doors to jumps racing, in July 2006, to make way for on course stabling and additional training tracks, there was no room for jumping any longer.

Sandown was not the answer, a poor substitute in fact; all the fences were placed at the back of the course, with only one fence at the top of the straight, butted up against the outside rail.

Flemington was the most spectacular course for jumping in Australia, if not the world, a more than worthy rival for the famous Cheltenham course in the U K.

With its six fences in the straight, known as the lane, four fences up the river side of the course, the abattoirs treble, jumbo, the formidable jump on the far side of the course, with the last fence a growing hedge.

The Nationals had a carnival atmosphere about it, even in the middle of July three jumping races on the first day and three on the final day drew an average crowd of around 45,000.

Sadly, that era has long gone, weights used to be declared at least a month before the Nationals, bookmakers ran doubles on both races, it created a lot of interest and discussion, is it time to call jumps racing a day?