Two days on from the out-of-the-blue announcement that British racing will strike on 10 September, the widespread media exposure the move has received may already be worth significantly more than the loss to sport from cancelling low-key meetings at Kempton, Lingfield, Carlisle and Uttoxeter. It will be an afternoon when most punters are looking 24 hours ahead to the St Leger meeting at Doncaster.
As a result, there is a raised awareness of the deep concerns about government plans to harmonise the duty rates for online betting and casino-style gaming products, which could, according to modelling commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority, cost the sport between £66m and £160m in annual income.
