IT is always sad when a newspaper dies. Next week, however, the mourning will be among more than the redundant staff, when the Sporting Life puts out its last edition.

There are many punters who swear by the Life and regard the form in its great rival the Racing Post as totally unreadable. The Post, of course, has its devotees as well.

For example, around the table of doom (in a bookmaker's establishment somewhere in Central Scotland) 'Racing Post' Peter has always flown the flag for the smaller paper. But Peter has been in a minority. 'Duggie' George considers the Life to have by far the superior greyhound coverage. 'Desperate' Donald, one of Scotland's unknown but supremely talented joke-tellers, prefers the Life betting forecast when preparing another reckless plunge on the next favourite.

Even 'Cooncil Tax' Charlie, who admitted never buys either racing paper, prefers to pinch someone else's Life and would only borrow the Post as a last resort. The table of doom provides, as ever, a good insight into the rest of the country. The Sporting Life is a much more popular product than the Racing Post.

Why then you may ask is the last post for the Life as opposed to the end of the life of the Post? The answer seems largely to be in the relative redundancy terms of the staff of both papers. The Mirror Group, who now owns both titles, have found it more economic to pay off staff on the Life as opposed to the more favourable redundancy terms on the Post.

The original proposal to continue the Life as a general sports paper - the basis on which both titles moved into common ownership - has now been conveniently consigned to the out tray of history.

All of this is tough luck on some fine journalists. However, it is also a bad deal for punters round the country who have got used to their racing information being presented in a particular way.

A big effort is being made to upgrade the Post to incorporate the Life readership. However, the new paper will have an effective monopoly on daily racing information and it is difficult to see how that will operate in the punter's interest.

The table of doom's position as a weather vane of Scotland applies to more than racing. I could have told 'Tory' Blair some months ago that 'New' Labour was in substantial bother with former adherents. Perhaps Millbank Tower should sign up the table as a focus group.

Indeed, I have been authorised to say that the table is willing to listen to offers to provide such a service, with Forbes 'the cigar' placed in formal charge of any negotiations. There is one health warning. Some of the language in which the Prime Minister is described would make even Mo Mowlam blush.

Typically, this week's meeting at Chester exasperated punters. Any idea that the desperate bends at the course provide a good schooling for Epsom and Tattenham Corner should be discarded. Chester might provide a fair training for ballet but not for running in the Derby.

However, that is not the case for Lingfield today. The Derby trial (4.10) provides a small but pretty select field. I doubt if the Derby winner is among them but they are exciting prospects none the less.

My idea of the winner is the relative outsider ACHILLES with Jason Weaver aboard.

If Lingfield is a good grounding for Epsom, then the reverse is also true, and Achilles's effort in running The Glow-Worm close at that course last month looks good in light of the latter's fine run in the Chester Vase.