In an unprecedented move, the British Horseracing Authority has announced that no race meetings will take place in Britain on Wednesday, 10th September, as the sport protests against a proposed government tax rise on horse racing betting.

It is the first time in the modern era that racing in Britain has voluntarily refused to stage fixtures, and the timing, just days before the Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh, ensures the decision will top of the racing conversation globally.

Four meetings scheduled for that day – at Lingfield Park, Carlisle, Uttoxeter and Kempton Park – will now be rescheduled, while a major Westminster campaign event will see owners, trainers, and jockeys lobby government directly.

At issue is the Treasury’s plan to merge online betting duties into a single higher rate, aligning the current 15% tax on racing bets with the 21% applied to online casino and slots. According to BHA-commissioned analysis, this could cost the sport £330 million over five years and put 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone.

With British racing contributing £4.1 billion annually to the UK economy and supporting 85,000 jobs, leaders across the industry warned the move could be “catastrophic” and erode one of Britain’s most successful cultural exports.

“This is the first time British Racing has chosen not to race due to Government proposals,” said BHA Chief Executive Brant Dunshea.

“We haven’t taken this decision lightly but the Treasury’s plan threatens the very future of our sport. Our message is clear: axe the racing tax and back British Racing.”

Jim Mullen, CEO of The Jockey Club, which stages some of the UK’s biggest festivals, added:

“Our sport has come together today. By cancelling fixtures, we hope the Government will reflect on the harm this tax will cause to a sport in which our country leads in so many ways.”

For those on this side of the Irish Sea, the move is a sharp reminder of the commercial fragility of racing, even at the elite level. With Irish Champions Weekend about to showcase the very best of the sport to a global audience, their remains unease at new betting regulations in Ireland restricting broadcast sponsorship of racing here, and the impact that might have.

The reaction of Government to this action across the Irish Sea will be closely monitored.

 

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