'The more support we can get the better' - training greats back calls to press MPs to engage in affordability checks debate

Training greats Barry Hills, Henrietta Knight and Martin Pipe have backed calls for British racing fans to contact their local MPs to stress the importance of attending next month’s crucial Westminster debate on affordability checks.

The legendary trainers, who have more than 100 years of experience as licence-holders between them, on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over the potential damage to the sport from the government’s proposals.

An array of leading figures from across racing, including trainers Sir Mark Prescott and Nicky Henderson, are supporting the campaign to contact politicians before the debate on February 26. The debate was triggered when a petition calling for affordability checks to be scrapped gained 100,000 signatures in less than a month.

The BHA is briefing MPs in racing centres and with racecourses in their constituencies on the impact of the checks and Hills, who saddled more than 3,200 winners including ten Classics in Britain and Ireland and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, will be writing to his local MP Laura Farris.

Hills, who retired from training in 2011, said: “I think the whole thing is ridiculous and an intrusion into people’s privacy. Why should they be allowed to poke into people’s personal affairs? If you want to have a bet, you should be allowed to do so. It’s supposed to be a free world.

“This will only lead people to betting underground [black market], which would be the worst thing. These checks would affect lots of things – we need more prize-money because all the training costs are going through the roof but this would no doubt impact that.

“I shall be writing to my local MP asking her to support and attend the debate and I encourage anyone with an interest in racing to do so. The more support we can get the better. The issue needs addressing properly.”

Get involved:

• Affordability checks: what your MP needs to know ahead of the big debate on February 26
• How to contact your MP to encourage them to participate in key debate on affordability checks

A three-time Gold Cup-winning trainer with Best Mate, Knight echoed Hills’s views and believes the proposed checks would cause significant and unnecessary damage to the sport’s finances.

Knight, who returned to training this month and is based near Wantage, where the local MP is David Johnston, said: “The proposed affordability checks are a serious threat to the sport. Racing is struggling financially anyway without this on top of it. Sir Mark and Nicky are very learned people and I endorse what they have said.

“People should definitely encourage their MP to attend the debate – that is something everyone in racing should be behind. It’s difficult to know exactly how much damage the checks would do to the sport but it would be widespread and potentially not just in Britain as Ireland are facing worrying times too with the Gambling Regulation Bill over there.

“It seems absolutely crazy. The checks are an intrusion into people’s privacy and their own lives and means, which is something very personal. Horseracing is a very big sport in Britain and it would be such a shame to damage it to this extent, and to do so unnecessarily.”

Henrietta Knight: resumed her training career this monthCredit: Dan Mullan

Pipe, a revolutionary 15-time champion jumps trainer, backed the sport’s drive to contact MPs, with Rebecca Pow his local politician in the Taunton Deane region. Punters and racing fans can find details on how to get in touch with their MP here.

He said: “I am certainly behind racing’s cause and fully support Sir Mark’s comments in Tuesday’s Racing Post on encouraging our MPs to attend the debate. 

“It’s a very big issue. The potential damage it could do to the sport’s finances is obviously worrying for racing.”

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale, who launched the petition in November, and BHA chief executive Julie Harrington are among other high-profile racing figures to back the drive to contact MPs, while the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) revealed it will be encouraging its members to make their feelings known.

ROA president Charlie Parker said: “It’s vitally important we stress the importance of this to our MPs. We will be sending briefing notes out to our members to send to their MPs and that gives people lots of time to act and get that message across.

"It’s vital we get a good range of representatives there and that they are informed about why and how much this matters. This is a very large, threatening cloud on the horizon of our sport and this needs to be understood."

Read these next:

Sir Mark Prescott issues rallying call for punters and racing to press MPs to attend crucial debate on affordability checks 

British government's affordability checks plan rejected by racing's participants and fans after petition passes 100,000 signatures

More than half of punters prepared to bet significantly less or walk away from racing over affordability checks, survey reveals

British racing set for £250m hit over five years because of affordability checks, warn leading industry figures

The Big Punting Survey: one in six have already been hit with affordability checks

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