Gambling finance professionals (surely an oxymoron?) would have heard with dismay that daily paper The Sportsman had gone into administration.

Up against The Racing Post, it struggled during its few months’ existence.

Some have said that the paper should never have got out of the paddocks, and its owners, including Ben and Zac Goldsmith, and a syndicate led by Ben Arbib, must be as sick as parrots.

The smart money was on rival publishers to take hold of the reins from administrators UHY Hacker Young partners Andrew Andronikou and Peter Kubik.

However, William Hill refused to take a bet from TS on The Sportsman’s future. Who else will take a punt, TS muses?