Boycotts, strikes and direct action in general have proved to be embarrassingly ineffectual as a way for owners and trainers to protest about prize money levels, and on the face of it at least, last week’s attempt by bookmakers Paddy Power and SkyBet to scrub an evening meeting at Bath from their websites went much the same way.
On Tuesday evening, the pair announced that their customers would not be able to bet on the six-race card at Bath, which is owned by Arena Racing Company (Arc) the following day. According to Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of both firms, this “commercial decision” had been taken “reluctantly”, and “due to the increase in costs associated with certain aspects of our horse racing proposition”.
