Arc speaks softly but shows it carries a big stick in pictures row

Arena Racing Company and its chief executive Martin Cruddace have really taken off the gloves with the decision to turn off bet-to-view pictures in its dispute with bookmakers over The Racing Partnership channel.

The racecourse group is using all the levers at its disposal to bring about a deal that is so vital to its income, from legal avenues to shutting down Ladbrokes' betting shops on the six courses affected. It is a marked contrast to how they got a number of independent bookmakers to sign up to the service.

Howard Chisholm, the managing director of north-east betting shop chain Chisholm Bookmakers, did not sign up to the TurfTV betting shop channel for a number of years. He and a number of his fellow independents did sign up to TRP though.