Seven prime ministers over a decade represent a turnover rate that surpasses even the British Horseracing Authority, which has seen five permanent chiefs in the same timeframe, or six counting the repeated interim role of David Jones. With the hunt for Lord Charles Allen's replacement ongoing since his short tenure ended in March, Jones continues as the sport's interim leader during the opening phase of Andy Burnham's leadership.

Yet the question remains what a fresh prime minister might bring for the nation's second-most popular spectator sport.

Burnham entered the world just a mile and a half from Becher's Brook at Fazakerley hospital, the same facility that has cared for numerous jockeys injured at Aintree. His direct experience with the sport is limited, however, having attended the races only once, on the Friday of this year's Grand National meeting. He admitted to an interviewer feeling somewhat embarrassed about the delay, noting it was his first visit despite living nearby for 56 years.

With numerous urgent matters demanding Burnham's attention, racing may stay off his immediate agenda. The key initial signal for the industry is the confirmation that Lisa Nandy will stay on as culture secretary.

Nandy's tenure has included overseeing racing's successful campaign against harmonised online duty rates for betting and gaming. She acted as a bridge to the Treasury during that effort. At the same time she has permitted the Gambling Commission to advance affordability checks, a policy carried over from the prior government, despite cautions from racing and even some former supporters that the measures could strip hundreds of millions from the sport's income.

Any lingering hope that a new culture secretary might delay the rollout for extra review has faded. With Nandy's role now settled, racing hopes she will engage more deeply and follow the cross-party culture committee in pressing for greater openness during implementation. Should the checks create more obstacles than anticipated, swift intervention will be essential.

Over time Burnham's stance on the wider gambling sector may carry greater weight. As Manchester mayor he backed a letter urging stronger local powers to curb new betting outlets. He has also voiced support for Against The Odds, which seeks to remove gambling sponsorship from all sport.

A sponsorship prohibition that failed to shield horse racing could inflict serious harm. Beyond tens of millions in annual direct backing, the sport's free-to-air television rights that underpin ITV's coverage on roughly 100 days would disappear immediately.

Even with an exemption, such a ban would hurt betting firms already squeezed by the rise of casino games and slots. The discussion around whether sponsorship promotes gambling overall or merely individual brands is more complex than either side often allows.

Should a genuine debate emerge, racing would benefit from drawing a sharper line between sports betting, which ranked 18th of 22 activities for problem gambling links in the latest commission data, and casino offerings that ranked far higher.

If the Burnham government can tackle the shortcomings of the 2005 Gambling Act over the coming years, the outcome could benefit both racing and bettors. In the nearer term, a readiness to monitor and respond if affordability checks prove as harmful as feared would mark a constructive start.