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We still found time to smile and laugh, too, discussing the Whitney Stakes, analyzing the electrifying results of Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and struggling to remember how our yearling naming contest worked, even as we announced the winner. In what sort of crazy world would anyone want to see our transport sector grind to a halt?” he said, highlighting students unable to attend exams and people likely to miss hospital appointments and struggling to get to work. Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work. But Shapps insisted the RMT union’s request for a meeting was a “stunt” and the union was “determined to go on strike”. Downing Street has said it will “not give in” to demands from rail unions as Boris Johnson warned commuters they must “stay the course”. The prime minister’s spokesperson said Johnson believed it was “in the long-term interest of both the country and the public to not give in” to demands that he claimed would “stop us being able to modernise the railways”.

Associate Professor Lisa Marzano, Middlesex University said:“I am pleased to support Samaritans’ latest phase of Small Talk Saves Lives. This important campaign remains a testament to the fact that we can all play a crucial role in preventing suicide and help someone who may be in need by looking out for one another. It could save lives.” For full terms & conditions please visit talktalk.co.uk/legal. Registered in England: Company number 4633015. The campaign draws on insights from successful interventions made by some of the 16,000 rail staff and BTP officers who’ve been trained by Samaritans in suicide prevention. For each life lost on the railway, six are saved.*** The hope is that by appealing to members of the public, the number of life-saving interventions being made across Britain will increase further.As the nation begins to readjust to life with easing restrictions, Network Rail, British Transport Police and the wider rail industry joins charity to empower the public to act if they see someone who needs help by starting a conversation Much has been made of whether or not the public support these strikes, and our polling, that included an explanation of the dispute rather than an uninformed test of perceptions, shows a majority finding justification in the decision of rail workers to strike, along with general support for the principle of workers striking. The RMT union said it would meet rail bosses for fresh talks on Wednesday. But, the BBC reports, even if an agreement were reached, it would not stop Thursday’s planned strike, but that with 48 hours’ notice it could potentially prevent disruption on Saturday. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has condemned the strikes as “extremely frustrating” and blamed the government for the disruption to the capital’s transport services. He said the strikes would have a “devastating impact” on the capital’s economy and that he hoped unions would return to the negotiating table with Transport for London and the government.

This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green held an informal therapy session to cope with the devastating losses of Maple Leaf Mel, Ever Summer and Sopran Basilea at Saratoga. They also gave appreciation for how, through tragedy, the outpouring of support for the fallen and their affected caretakers displayed the best of this community, and hoped that kind of love will help light the way forward. Health Secretary Sajid Javid, speaking to ITV News, said: “When it comes to these strikes, it is very disappointing what the unions have said, because it’s not just going to cause misery for the travellers, but it’s actually, I think, the wrong outcome for the workers as well." By highlighting that suicidal thoughts can be temporary and interrupted with something as simple as a question, the campaign aims to give the public the tools to spot a potentially vulnerable person, start a conversation with them, and help save a life.Writing in the Guardian, the Liberal Democrats leader accuses the prime minister and his transport secretary, whom he brands “Sleepy Shapps”, of failing to plan ahead to minimise disruption. Labour demanded ministers drop the boycott of talks, which continued on Sunday in a bid to bring the threatened action to a halt. Three out of five of those polled said they were generally supportive of the principle of industrial action, while just 35% were generally opposed, PA Media reported. British Transport Police Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle, said: “When our officers make lifesaving interventions, they may simply start by saying hello and engaging the person in conversation. There’s no magic formula for what to say – I’ve heard of officers chatting about the weather or the football. What I’d like the public to take from this campaign is that everyone has the ability to make a difference. Starting a conversation can be all that it takes. We’re not suggesting people intervene if they don’t feel comfortable or safe to do so. They can tell a member of rail staff or a police officer – many of whom have been trained by Samaritans – or call 999.”