'A slap in the face' - stable staff boss's fury over weekend fixtures

Next year's fixture list in Britain is a "slap in the face" for stable staff, whose welfare has been disregarded following an increase in weekend meetings, according to National Association of Racing Staff (Nars) boss George McGrath.

The fury expressed by the stable staff union at the 2022 fixture list comes at a time when the sport is wrestling with its lowest field sizes for 25 years, a situation the BHA said was "disappointing" on Tuesday and that it was looking into in depth.

Eight additional Sunday meetings and ten extra Saturday meetings were announced on Monday, with the Horseracing Bettors Forum (HBF) also disappointed at the lack of reduction in racedays and the creation of more "congested" Saturdays during the summer.