'Those opposed never put their balaclavas away' - Sir Mark Prescott warns horseracing may be next after Welsh greyhound ban

Sir Mark Prescott has warned the horseracing industry could be next after the Welsh government announced it would ban greyhound racing in the country.

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning trainer fears the knock-on effects for the thoroughbred industry, given the persistence of those whose opposition led to last week's decision.

"Whenever you lose one sport the next is in line and those opposed to it never put their balaclavas away," he said. "Racing could very much be the next in line and we need to be aware of what we're up against."

Although best known as a trainer of racehorses, most famously 2022 Arc winner Alpinista, Prescott has been a long-time supporter of the greyhound racing industry. He still has many kennels at his Heath House Stables in Newmarket and was one of the primary organisers of the Waterloo Cup, the premier coursing meeting, which was staged in Lancashire until the sport was banned in 2005.

Prescott said: "I have owned and trained many greyhounds in the past and it's a wonderful sport to be associated with."

In a statement to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) last week, Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister with responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, announced the ban on greyhound racing “as soon as practicably possible".

“I have seen the strength of feeling on this and I have listened,” he said.

Sir Mark Prescott at Heath House, which still has kennels from his time as a greyhound trainerCredit: Edward Whitaker

The sole greyhound track in Wales is Valley, near Caerphilly, but concern is rising about the possible impact on horseracing in the country, which has tracks at Ffos Las, Chepstow and Bangor-on-Dee.

The BHA responded last week by saying it had closely monitored developments around greyhound racing in Wales since the publication of The Final Bend? report by the Petitions Committee in December 2022.

In a statement, the BHA said: "That report contained a recommendation that when considering a ban on greyhound racing, the Welsh government should also look at other sports where animals compete.

"We're proud of our record on horse welfare and the improvements the sport has made to the safety of our horses. The BHA firmly believes that when animal sport is well regulated it brings unrivalled quality of life and high standards of care for the animals involved."

The BHA on Wednesday relaunched its HorsePWR campaign, aimed at "increasing public engagement with British horseracing and reinforcing confidence in the sport’s high welfare standards".

Read more on the Welsh greyhound ban...

Welsh government announces ban on greyhound racing 

BHA vows to maintain political support for horseracing in Wales in light of Welsh government's ban on greyhound racing 

'A dirty backroom deal' - Greyhound Board hits out at 'cynical' politics behind the decision to ban the sport in Wales 

Mark Johnston: ban facing greyhound racing in Wales makes no sense - and it should be a huge wake-up call for horseracing 

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