'Money talks and owners have the right to decide which country to race in' - owner-breeder blasts Arc boss's comments

Prominent owner-breeder Craig Bennett has criticised Martin Cruddace for “belligerent” comments in a recent interview and said the outlook taken by the chief executive of Arena Racing Company was counterproductive and not in the best interests of British racing.

In an  interview with the Racing Post last week, Cruddace accused figures in racing who continually called for greater transparency on racecourses’ media rights income as being “economically illiterate” and that he would not engage with “people who leave rational thought at the door and are not prepared to change their view no matter what you say”.

Cruddace conceded racecourse costs could be better explained to participants, but added: “What I am not ever going to allow is for a trainer or an owner to tell this company how it should be run and what it should spend money on.”