Betfair extend minimum bet to win guarantee to all British and Irish races

Betfair has become the latest bookmaker to offer the minimum bet to win guarantee across all British and Irish racing.

The firm had previously offered the guarantee on all Class 1 and 2 races, but it has been expanded to cover every race in Britain and Ireland.

The guarantee will see Betfair lay to lose £500 on any horse in the win market to any customer, and will apply from 10am on the morning of the race.

The move has been welcomed by the Horseracing Bettors Forum, which, with the assistance of the BHA, represents the interests of those who bet on racing in Britain.

Kevin Harrington, Betfair's managing director, said: "In guaranteeing to lay any horse to £500 every morning, we hope it will also become the destination for any customer who has been stake factored elsewhere. Racing is in our DNA and we have huge confidence in our compilers, reflected in the wide-ranging nature of this initiative."

Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill acted in April to offer some guarantees, although Coral introduced a minimum guarantee on Channel 4 racing five years ago.

Coral and Ladbrokes, who are in the same stable, have a £500 guarantee in their betting shops but not online.

They committed to taking stakes on Class 4 and above handicaps, Listed, Group and Graded races to a potential win to a £2,000 minimum – and on any other UK or Irish race to lose at least £500 – from 11am.

Hills will lay customers to lose up to at least £5,000 for win bets in betting shops on all races shown on ITV Racing, while online customers will be able to bet to win up to at least £1,000 at the available price for those contests. Both offers are available on the day of the race from 10am.

Sky Bet and BetVictor joined in this summer. Sky Bet punters, restricted or not, are able to back their selections to win £500 on Class 1 and Class 2 races

BetVictor introduced a lay-to-lose guarantee on every race in Britain and Ireland for up to £500, also after discussions with the Horseracing Bettors Forum.

HBF founder Simon Rowlands to step down

Horseracing Bettors Forum founding member and inaugural chairman Simon Rowlands will step down on Saturday after more than three years of service.

Rowlands was a key component in the formation of the organisation in August 2015, and in his time has lobbied for the publishing of wind surgery on racecards and 48-hour declarations for all Cheltenham Festival races.

Simon Rowlands: the Horseracing Bettors Forum founding member is stepping downCredit: Edward Whitaker

Chairman Matt Bisogno said: “I’d like to offer my deep gratitude to Simon for his tireless work and leadership. From a personal perspective I want to thank him for his guidance, but mostly for instilling confidence to challenge and push for what we believe is right for British racing punters and the sport in general.”

Tornado Flyer keeps race after IHRB probe

Tornado Flyer, winner of the Grade 1 Racing Post Champion Bumper at the Punchestown festival in April, has been allowed to keep the race after an IHRB investigation into minute traces of cetirizine, a banned substance, being found in the urine sample taken from the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old after the race.

Watch Tornado Flyer's victory in the Grade 1 Racing Post Champion Bumper at the Punchestown festival in April

The referrals committee of the IHRB decided that at the time of the sample being taken there was no screening limit in place for the substance and that a new screening limit is in the process of being introduced. It established that the adverse analytical finding related to a level of 4ng/ml.

The committee acknowledged the full co-operation of Mullins during the investigation and decided against imposing any sanction on the horse or trainer.

The Alan Fleming-trained Mount Pelier, winner of a Pro-Am bumper at Wexford on October 29, has been disqualified after it was established that his rider Conor McNamara held an apprentice rider's licence and was therefore ineligible to ride in the event. The race has been awarded to the Gordon Elliott-trained Acronym who finished second.

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