In Tim Robbins' remarkable Dead Man Walking, viewers left the theatre emotionally drained. Due to the brilliance and balance of the storytelling, acting and directing, their attitude to the film's central theme of capital punishment was probably much the same as it had been pre-show when they ordered their popcorn and choc tops.

Perhaps the only thing that firm supporters and opponents of capital punishment had in common was that a film wasn't going to change their opinions on the issue. For those of us who sat anywhere in the middle of the two extremes, it forced us to think through the complexities involved, and see both arguments in their entirety.

And, after that reflection, in all probability most of us returned to our original, middle-ground position.

Well, after a spending a week at Warrnambool covering their iconic jumps carnival for Melbourne's racing station Radio Sports National, and witnessing and experiencing the camaraderie, passion, thrill, skill, magic and loss that it provides, this writer is actually none the wiser as to whether jumps racing genuinely deserves its place not only as an industry-subsidized division of the "Sport of Kings", but in modern society generally. Should it now, like Sean Penn's character in Dead Man Walking, Matthew Poncelet, be forced to walk the green mile?

Yesterday's astonishing events still have ones head spinning, with horrific crowd injuries being the black swan event to add to the continuous calamity of horses and jockeys dropping like flies over the 5500-metre course.

In a weird way, the news-leading occurrence of the riderless horse jumping into the unsuspecting crowd in some ways masked the reality of a farcical two-horse finish. That, at best, would have resulted in even less confidence in hurdle and steeple racing as a wagering option - which, like it or lump it, is the basis of horse racing's existence.

Never mind the threats and calls from the likes of Patrick Smith and Hugh Wirth, gallops of course do not have multi-million dollar TV rights and full stadiums funding it, so if there's no betting, there is no raison d'être.

Yet on the positive side, literally thousands descended on this beautiful seaside town for the carnival. It proved the saying: "Everyone's equal at the track and under it", as captains of industry such as AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and deputy Gillon McLachlan freely mixed with "the great unwashed", the common goal being the pursuit of a winner and enjoyment of each other's company.

This writer watched Tuesday's Brierly Steeple (with Herald Sun's AFL doyen Mike Sheahan, for what it's worth) from the hill at the back of the course, and it was a sensational spectacle with just two lengths separating the first five horses at the end of 3450 metres, and no injuries to horse or rider. View it yourself here (clicking on race 6).

One of those business leaders in attendance that is fully supportive of jumps racing is Melbourne Racing Club chairman Mike Symons, who last year was rightly hailed as a white knight to the sport, when he applied clear, logical and rational business thinking to give jumps racing a second chance after governing body Racing Victoria had announced the sport's cessation.

A series of changes, such as importing softer obstacles with more "give" in them, jockeys being encouraged to pull tired and out-of-contention horses out of races, removing jumps from late in a race (when the animal is obviously at its most fatigued) and moving jumps away from flat (and by extension faster) tracks such as Flemington and Moonee Valley, were implemented. And the sport was given a series of fall and fatality KPIs that it had to meet to ensure its survival.

The new season started in the worst way possible when, last May, veteran multiple city-winning flat performer Prince Vitality was euthanized after bungling a hedge at Casterton.

In my column for BackPageLead on May 31, 2010 - Bell Tolling loudly for jumps racing - I wrote in part: ''Prince Vitality is dead because his connections chose to race him in hurdle and steeplechase races. This unpalatable truth, which was as a result of the seven-year-old gelding's fatal fall at Casterton last Sunday, was another example of how difficult a task the pro-jumps lobby faces in keeping their sport a going concern. It should be pointed out that trainer Bryce Stanaway is absolutely gutted, and told Sport 927 this morning: "This is like losing part of my family .... it will just about be the finish of us as it's broken our hearts" as he struggled to control his emotions on air. Yet his public display of gut-wrenching agony underlined the curate's egg that jumps racing has now become. No matter how many good things occur directly or indirectly as a result of the sport taking place, and regardless of how well looked after and loved these animals are in their day-to-day existence, the bottom-line is that the death rate is far too high.''

Well since publication, the fatality rate has fallen which obviously has helped the sport's cause, but by far and away the most significant "win" for the jumping fraternity happened away from the track.

Ted Baillieu's Liberal party swept to power in last November's state election and that resulted in state member for the South West Coast, Denis Napthine, being installed as Racing Minister. Not only was he a resident of the ‘Bool, he was someone who made substantial support for jumps racing a key plank of his election campaign. That meant Racing Victoria knew full well that the government was supportive of the sport, not an opponent.

Following yesterday's sensational events, Napthine has quickly and emphatically tried to move the debate to all aspects of spectator safety, and demanded from Racing Victoria a thorough enquiry into those policies.

But after the fences are erected, safety barriers are installed, and spectators moved further back, the spotlight will again return to what happens inside the course.

And it's there that television cameras will continue to capture fatigued 500-kilogram horses with skinny legs jumping over obstacles at pace, simply for the pleasure of a minority of spectators, punters and participants.

Should they continue to make mistakes, as mathematics say they must, Napthine may well have someone besides the animal activists and media to answer to in regards to his passionate and authentic support for a sport that remains so important to his electorate.

If the broader community decides that jumps racing is no longer acceptable in 2011, then it may be Premier Ted Baillieu who makes the final enquiry across the cabinet room: "It is time to end jumps racing, isn't it .... yes, Minister?"

("Racetrack" Ralphy Horowitz is a former producer at "The Footy Show" "Sunday Footy Show" 3AW and SEN, and now works full-time in horseracing appearing on Radio Sports National (927) each Monday morning. Twitter.com/rtralphy)