Racing’s latest prize-money row has dramatically undermined Saturday’s Lingfield card, with one race drawing no runners at all and another attracting one. Trainers said they had taken their horses out because the £4,500 on offer for the races at the Arena Racing Company track was “horrendous” and there were more attractive options elsewhere.
“This is trainers acting as individuals in protest at ARC’s derisory prize money,” said Ralph Beckett, one of 20 trainers who put horses in the Lingfield races at the initial entry stage but then decided against running when the final fields were declared. “Trainers by inclination do their own thing. This should indicate to ARC the depth of feeling. I’ll make a prediction: it won’t be the last time.”
The Yorkshire-based Mark Johnston said: “I always remember Mister Baileys winning a maiden race at Newcastle in 1993 and getting £5,900. We always hear about prize money improving but it’s improving from a real low about 10 years ago and we’re making slow progress. And here’s ARC taking a big step backwards. It’s horrendous.”
Nick Littmoden is the only trainer to have declared a runner for one of the races and his Greybychoice will acquire a win by default. Littmoden said he shared the concerns of his fellow trainers. “Prize money in this country is shocking and, years ago, when they abolished minimum prize money levels, I was probably the most outspoken person about it. I encouraged people to boycott certain races and some trainers were supportive and joined me and others did not.”
Littmoden pointed out he was fined a four-figure sum in 2003 for his part in a boycott of races at Wolverhampton. “I was happy to pay, because I voiced my opinion,” he said.
“These days, I do my own thing. I made my stance years ago. But I’m not running this horse to earn some cheap prize money and I’ll donate my percentage of it to the Injured Jockeys Fund,” Littmoden added. “The prize-money problem isn’t just about ARC, it’s almost across the board. Some of the independents like Fakenham, I take my hat off to them, they put on much better prize money for the level of racing than you’d get at other tracks. How come they can keep their shop in order?”
Having their seven-race card reduced to five is embarrassing for Lingfield and its parent company. Saturday should be one of the track’s highlights, featuring the Winter Derby, which will be screened by ITV4.
A spokesman for ARC pointed to a warning it gave in December that the company’s contribution to prize money in 2019 would be cut by £3m. That was necessitated, ARC said at the time, by the likelihood of betting shop closures caused by the cutting of FOBT stakes to £2, which in turn would reduce media rights income from betting shops.
A spokesman for ARC said: “We have been open about the fact that, unlike 2018, we are no longer in a position to further invest to unlock Levy funding for grassroots racing. The Racecourse Association has made a proposal that will allow ARC, and all other racecourses, to continue to access the Levy funds assigned to support prize money in this important area of the race programme. This amounts to £4.5m across our group.
“It is disappointing that this situation has occurred in the middle of these constructive talks between horsemen, BHA and racecourses but we very much hope that they can progress and that this funding situation can be sorted as soon as possible.”