WHY are Irish punters still putting up with being ripped off by racecourse bookmakers?

At one of their biggest meetings of the year last Sunday, Champions Stakes Day at Leopardstown, only one of the SP returns in eight races was over broke by less than 20 per cent.

Worse was the “lucky last”, an 18-runner handicap, with a sickening take-out of 152 per cent.

This is not just one isolated afternoon. Every day the comparison between the margins in Britain and Ireland are similar or often even worse.

And with Leopardstown covered extensively on At The Races and British betting shops we too are paying for lack of competition among Irish firms.

No wonder more and more sensible punters are deserting traditional bookmakers and focusing on the exchanges.

It’s about time Irish backers made a stand, boycotted their greedy layers, and force them to ditch a scandalous cartel that ensures they cannot prosper.

Even I, a fellow racecourse bookmaker, couldn’t help but make a no-risk profit in Ireland.

HISTORY has dictated the naming of classics around the world after hours.

That’s fine. But the last proper winner of today’s Irish St Ledger was 5-4 favourite Touching Wood in 1982.

Run a month after Paul Cook had also ridden him to win the St Ledger at Doncaster a race, like all our classics, confined to three-year-olds.

But 25-years ago the Irish opened up their version to all ages.

Why are they still so dependent on the Mother Country that they cannot re-brand this hybrid impostor?

WERE you on Gull Wing in Thursday’s Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster?

Levered down from nearly 15-2 into 9-2 she refused to start so all money is lost.

Whatever the implications of Rule 4 deductions, and place terms, the reality is that she didn’t compete yet the sport is called horse racing.

Fair play and natural justice demand that any horse failing, for whatever reason, to take part should be declared a non-runner.

The British Horseracing Authority claimed to care about their consumers.

Now prove it.

THIS week the Professional Jockey’s Association are holding final interviews for a full-time doctor to look after riders.

Sponsored by Betfair, the 150,000-a-year post to be the PJAMA (Medical Advisor) - already dubbed “The Pyjama” - was highlighted by the shameful experience of champion jockey Seb Sanders immediately after breaking a leg at Chester a fortnight ago.

As he somewhat bitterly told Jason Weaver on ATR it was only by having his own driver that he wasn’t left to fend alone in hospital.

And there he was kept hanging around A&E for hours like the rest of us on the NHS. What would have happened to a youngster? Can you imagine a stricken pro-footballer being similarly ignored?

Just one of the situations The Pyjama will have to address. He/she won’t physically be able to attend more than around 20 per cent of race meetings so satisfactory arrangements need to be universal.

Though my priority for The Pyjama is to brush aside any Human Rights legalise and immediately institute random monthly drug tests for all PJA members.