When I was a young lad and all through college I spent many weekends going to race meetings.
I have always had a fascination with the horse and racing and the breeding and so on.
But I grew out of it as my life changed and I worked most weekends.
Recently, I went to the races at the Curragh-the 2,000 guineas meeting-and thought it might revive my interest in going racing.
But one question has seeped into my mind over the last 10 or 15 years watching the racing from the comfort of my couch in the living room: is there room in the racing industry for the ordinary man or woman?
Apart from being fodder for the bookies?
How can the ordinary man or woman in the industry compete with the likes of Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore operation on the flat? And how can you compete with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot in the National Hunt scene?
Small trainers and breeders must be under tremendous pressure to try to compete with these giants of the sport, and with the likes of Michael O’Leary and J.P. McManus when it comes to winning races as an owner.
Is there any place in the industry for the ordinary man or woman other than being a punter or working in the stables mucking out and so on?
Is the role of the ordinary person to simply provide fodder to the industry by showing up at the races and filling the bookies satchels?
Are horse owner syndicates or racing clubs a satisfactory answer? Or is this another way to make it affordable for the ordinary guy/gal to put money into the industry in small bites?
When I went to the Curragh to the 2,000 guineas this year, my first race meeting for a very long time, I wondered where I fit in.
How can I get involved without emptying the bank?
Is my role confined to that of a punter?