This week the British Horseracing Board announced replacement venues for the lost fixtures due to foot-and-mouth at both Catterick and Carlisle.

It annoyed me to hear that three of the four fixtures replacing Carlisle have gone south.

July 20 moved to Chepstow, August 1 moved to Warwick and August 6 to Nottingham. The remaining fixture on August 20 thankfully stayed in the North at Musselburgh. Catterick's July 18 fixture is now at Newcastle.

I feel that it's ridiculous that three Northern fixtures have headed to the South where there is an abundance of racing.

Surely some of these fixtures could have been held at Ayr, Ripon or Thirsk, which would have suited the northern public as well as owners, jockeys and trainers.

I HEARD this week that the stewarding system is being changed.

The Jockey Club has decided that a fourth paid professional official will sit with the unpaid amateur stewards.

They will then make their decisions on inquiries without the stewards' secretary and witnesses in the room. This will hopefully improve our system which, as I wrote last week, needed reviewing.

Racing does need more professional and experienced people being involved in what are extremely important decisions.

PROOF that poor decisions are being made was yet again confirmed this week when trainer David Evans won his appeal over the disqualification of Nashaab at Doncaster recently.

However, all bets on Nashaab remain unpaid so the public lose out.

This is the third time that an appeal has been heard in the last couple of months and the Jockey Club has overturned a decision made by their officials on the racecourse.

I'm pleased they made the correct decision, but it's extremely embarrassing for the officials on the racecourse and an indication that maybe they should move on.

Hopefully, professional stewards can only help improve decisions, but how many more mistakes do they make and nothing is heard about them?

NORTHERN Echo makes his hurdling debut at Sedgefield next week in The Northern Echo Novice Hurdle. He has schooled very well, but will improve with experience. Russ Garrity will ride him.

Mungo Park ran last night at Hamilton and soft ground conditions did not suit.

Today sees Eastern Prophets at Nottingham, which gives him his best chance of the season.

Jeffrey Anotherred is at York, where unfortunately, a wide draw of 21 gives him an almost impossible task.

Column Published: 14/07/01