Paul Mulrennan column: the inside track on my York rides

York concludes their season on Saturday, so I’ll be back on the Knavesmire for two rides.

Adrian Keatley’s Ayr Silver Cup winner Wobwobwob aims for the Coral Sprint Trophy (2.25pm). He competes from a 4lb higher mark, but won’t mind these rain-softened conditions.

Dropping back to sprinting appears to have been beneficial. We should have a good strong pace to aim towards, and it is notable that nine of the last ten winners have come from a single-figure stall. Hopefully, we have the perfect position in stall three.

I’m also looking forward to taking the ride aboard Aalto for Ian Williams in the Coral Racing Bet Bundles Handicap (3.35pm). I don’t know a massive amount about him other than the fact that he’s having his first start for the stable after winning at Longchamp in June. He has been gelded and allocated an opening mark of 92. These conditions should suit (based on his French form), so we’ll see how we fare.

After much delay, the fixture list for 2024 was finally published on Tuesday. The content wasn’t to the liking of everyone, but it is important to recognise and acknowledge that investment into our sport – primarily through the creation of 170 Premier Fixtures – can only be viewed as positive news.

It isn’t that straightforward though, with the other half of the equation being that we’re asking increasingly more of the staff working within the industry. I have genuine reservations about the impact of early morning starts and late weekend finishes.

Furthermore, I also fear for the grassroots with the potential dilution of the lower grade (Class 4 to Class 6) races. These races form the ‘bread and butter’ for so many in the industry, me included, so I just hope that we’re not forgetting about the grassroots.

We’re not all fortunate enough to be able to dine at the top table, so while the ‘gloss’ is fantastic for the high-profile racecourses, the smaller racecourses are likely to be most impacted. I’m all for positive change, but worry about the core element of the sport, with tracks like Thirsk facing this ever-changing landscape.

With 1,468 fixtures scheduled, there can be no debate that there is plenty of racing for everyone. I do believe that the Flat season, and consequently the jockeys’ championship, should be longer though, running from the Lincoln to the November Handicap. After that we should then have a complete two-week break from Flat racing.

Various changes were announced this week ahead of next year’s Grand National, the most significant being the overall field size reduction - from 40 to 34 runners.

You could argue a case that with fewer runners, the race becomes increasingly riskier. With smaller fences to negotiate and fewer runners to consider, the race will only become faster and faster. A vastly different type of horse is required for a modern-day Grand National.

Nominations for the six categories in the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (thoroughbredawards.co.uk) are open until November 7th, 2023.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by Godolphin and organised by the British Horseracing Authority, will be hosted by Ed Chamberlin at Ascot Racecourse on February 26th, 2024. The event offers prize-money worth £125,000, including £30,000 to the person crowned overall employee of the year.

I always say that whether you are a trainer, jockey, owner or whatever, that the team behind you pulling the strings is of crucial importance. I know myself from being a stable lad and working my way up, that the employees work tirelessly over long hours. It is important that their efforts are recognised and appropriately rewarded. A cast of thousands could justifiably be nominated for each award.

Jim Goldie saddled three winners at Ayr on Thursday to bring his tally up to 70 for the year. The Scottish Flat season concludes at Musselburgh on Monday, where we’ll be back seeking more success. Jordan Electrics, who has enjoyed a fine season, and ran a super race in the Ayr Bronze Cup last time, is a possible runner. After Musselburgh, I’ll be back in action at Newcastle on Tuesday for the launch of the AW Championships.