'If this comes to fruition there'll be very few of us smaller trainers left' - the Lambourn view on tax proposals

The wheels kept turning in Lambourn on Wednesday but the racing community had one eye on events in Westminster and the sport's protest against the Treasury proposals to harmonise online gambling duties that could be "catastrophic for the industry" and severely impact the Valley of the Racehorse.

Alongside the Westminster event, British racing took the unprecedented step to stage a blank day in the racing calendar, with meetings at Lingfield, Carlisle, Kempton and Uttoxeter cancelled as part of the campaign to drive home the potential financial blow to racing, which would be felt keenly in Lambourn as home to more than 30 racing establishments.

William Muir, who trains alongside Chris Grassick, said: "If what the government plans to do comes to fruition then it'll be catastrophic for the industry, and as for the small trainers there'll be very few of us left. It's a massive industry that employs so many. It's not just the trainers, it's the studs, jockeys, valets and reporters, and there will be so many people who will suffer if they do this.

"It would have a massive impact on Lambourn. It's been my whole life. I grew up on a stud and from the moment I knew anything about life it was horses, and all the way through my life I've worked with horses. You put your life into it seven days a week, so to see the way it's going is quite frightening."

William Muir: "It's a massive industry that employs so many"Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Although business continued as normal on the Mandown gallops, one of a large number of top-class facilities in the village, Tom Ward echoed the concerns of Muir and remains hopeful the strike can alert the government about the state of the sport.

He said: "It's difficult to know what this strike will do, but hopefully it can help us all make our point about the racing tax in order for the government to see the position we're in. We're currently in a vulnerable state and we don't need any more fuel added to the fire.

"I wasn't surprised about the strike. I was hopeful something would happen because in order for things to change we need to get together and get things done. If we sit and rest on our laurels then we're not going to get anything done, so I'm glad it's happened."

Dominic Ffrench Davis also spent a morning on the Lambourn gallops and understands the benefits of alerting the government about the negatives that come with any increase to the tax paid on online betting. 

He said: "It’ll obviously point out to the government the depth and feeling about the tax and the effects it will have on racing. I don’t think it’s that high on the government’s list, it’s probably just another revenue stream for them. We’re not the only people being singled out or targeted to bolster the coffers, but it’s not the way to go about it."

Former Grade 1-winning jockey and soon-to-be trainer Nick Scholfield added: "A stance needed to be made. You see strikes all the time. Sometimes you have to show your worth to realise why things are done, and in this case at least something is being done. As a racing community, we do stick together, and if it needs to happen again then fine."

Read these next:

With no trips to the races it's business as usual and busier than ever on the Newmarket gallops 

'This would be the third part of a triple whammy' - BHA chief Brant Dunshea on why racing must be treated differently in tax fight 

'Racing is more than a job, it's a way of life' - celebrating the sport's heroic workforce 

Write to your MP about the Racing Tax

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