I AM nothing if not a traditionalist, so when the former top jockey Ruby Walsh suggested that horseracing should change its race times from five-minute intervals to eight-minute intervals, I allowed myself three minutes of private outrage - until I realised just how much more productively I could have spent that time.

In three minutes there’d be time to make a cup of tea, although not enough time to watch the kettle – because we all know that a watched kettle never boils.

It would be a shame not to get to the stage where you actually pour the water onto the teabag. There'd be time enough to microwave a meal – or to toss a salad if you’re looking for something healthier.

In three minutes, you could clean your shoes, press a shirt or brush your hair. Just think how much smarter we could all be.

It’d be enough time for a bit of form study: easily enough time to see that Vintage Clouds and Jonniesofa, who are both intended runners at Kelso today, were rated as equals three years ago at the novice hurdle stage of their careers.

Following an injury-plagued career, Jonniesofa is now rated 14lb lower than his rival, which might lead some to underestimate his chances in the Paxtons Exclusively Kverneland Handicap Chase.

Walsh, who is now a respected TV pundit, reasoned that it can be difficult for racing enthusiasts to follow all of the day’s action when races are scheduled to take place at different tracks every five or ten minutes.

A three-mile chase usually takes about six minutes to run, which means that the finish can occasionally overlap with a race following elsewhere.

Why not, he suggested, stagger the race times in Britain and Ireland every eight minutes so that, for example they might be run at 2.00; 2.08; 2.16, 2.24. The racecourse that staged the 2.00 could then stage its next race at 2.32 – creating a 32-minute gap between races at that track, instead of the more usual 30 or 35 minutes.

Mathematically, this could work well when there are four fixtures staged within the same afternoon session – although it wouldn’t work quite so nicely when there are six fixtures, as on Saturday.

The race-times departments at BHA and HRI have cleverly scheduled racing at Kelso, Leopardstown, Newbury, Doncaster, Cheltenham and Galway with five-minute gaps between most races, with no clashing off-times.

But if Kelso staged the Paxtons Exclusively Kverneland Handicap Chase at 2.58 instead of 3.00, it might be more certain that you could enjoy the pictures of Jonniesofa (our selection for the weekend) battling up the straight before enjoying the Listed Knockaire Stakes from Leopardstown at 3.05 on Racing TV.

There’s a lot that you could do with an extra three minutes and I’m starting to come around to the idea. Above all though, I’m looking forward to Sunday morning when the clocks change and I can have an extra hour in bed.