Gosden urges levy reform in wake of ITV deal to safeguard sport's future

John Gosden has warned that without serious progress on improving the financial health of racing there will not be a "great industry" in three years' time to negotiate for terrestrial TV coverage.

In welcoming the sport's fresh partnership with ITV as its exclusive free-to-air broadcast partner for at least the next three years, the champion trainer called for immediate work towards levy reform and development.

Gosden described the way the renewal of ITV's initial four-year deal, which runs out at the end of this year, had been allowed to slide so close to the end of its lifespan as "playing with fire."