Gosden calls for movement on levy reform to avoid going 'back to 1970s'

Champion trainer John Gosden has warned that inaction on reforming the levy threatens to catapult British racing back 50 years and could lead to an exodus of young talent from the sport.

Gosden has been among the most vocal in calling for changes to the funding of the levy, and was one of the trainers to meet home secretary Priti Patel in Newmarket last month to discuss the issue over brunch.

Racing believes the levy, a major source of funding for the sport, could be increased by as much as £30 million a year if extended to capture bets placed in Britain on foreign racing, while a move to taxing gross bookmaker turnover, rather than gross profits, has also been suggested as a route to raise funds.

Gosden has urged such changes to be implemented as soon as possible, as he believes racing needs to be on the front foot when discussing the issue with government rather than letting the issue go on indefinitely.

“The government have enough on their hands without us,” he said. “And we're not going there and saying, 'Please' - we've got to go there with ideas. We can do it only by working closely together.

“Our concern is that, at the moment, our industry does not have a sustainable financial footing for the future. We're all in it together and so we're trying to do everything we can, talking to people and so on, because we cannot let this drift. We don't have six months to start floating about, having committee meetings and chitting and chatting, we need to get our heads wrapped together, with the betting industry and the racecourses.

“Otherwise, let me tell you, it won't be long before we're back to the 1970s. I had to emigrate twice from this country, once to Venezuela and once to America, and I don't want to see a lot of young people having to do the same thing again, not just in our industry but in many others, because there will be no jobs and no opportunity.”

Racing believes the levy, a major source of funding for the sport, could be increased by as much as £30 million a yearCredit: Bill Barber

Gosden has previously stressed that Britain risks becoming “a nursery for other parts of the world” unless prize-money improves, and reiterated that the industry cannot rely on indefinite largesse from owners.

“Don't think the owners that we have are going to be around here for help, upholding the whole top end of the game,” he said. “They're not.

“All we're trying to look for is something that gives stability and is equitable and fair to all sides. But at the moment there hasn't been enough movement on it, which is why we're literally trying to do something ourselves.”

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