As HorseRaceInsider contributing staffer Vic Zast pointed out in a recent blog, American horseplayers have little or no interest in steeplechasing. In Great Britain, however, horses not only are a way of life but horse racing is considered a major sport. And no more so than in the coverage of the rough-and-tumble Grand National Steeplechase.

As a young boy, I caught my first glimpse of the Grand National in a movie theater news reel between feature films. (Yes, boys and girls, there was a time you could get two first run movies, albeit one of “B-movie” status, not unlike on the flip side of a 33 rpm vinyl record. Indeed, back in the day there’d be two features, a news reel and, at Saturday matinees, a “Tom and Jerry” or “Felix the Cat” cartoon). But I digress.

In the last three years, the Kentucky Derby, a.k.a. “America’s Race, has drawn television ratings of 7-plus with roughly a 15 share. Would you believe last Saturday’s Grand National attracted a 66.5% share? That means two of every three television sets in use were tuned into the great horse race.

This week, the British media have been discussing the possibility of moving post time back 45 minutes, to 5 PM, thereby attracting more Saturday viewers. But that decision is not the no-brainer you might infer.

The Grand National is seen live in 140 countries with a potential reach of 600 million viewers. The fear is that the later post time would adversely effect the huge Asian market by airing too late.

There’s been no hint of how this issue might get resolved. Eventually, interested parties would do well to follow the money. In any event, it's a nice problem to have.