Pontefract to cut prize-money as tracks act in face of expected shop closures

Pontefract is the latest track to announce it has been forced to reduce prize-money, with purses due to fall by 11 per cent this year, and Ludlow, another independent track that has a similarly good reputation for prize-money, has also indicated its level is also likely to be reduced.

With racing facing an uncertain financial future, the two courses' provisional plans follow the significant cuts made by Arena Racing Company, which is threatened by a trainers' boycott, and the news that Newmarket has put on ice plans to make the Cesarewitch a £1 million race.

However, every race at Pontefract will still be run at above minimum value and the track has acted to protect its lower-level contests, with events in Class 3 and above bearing most of the reductions.

Pontefract managing director Norman Gundill pointed the finger at likely betting shop closures due to the imminent cut in the maximum stake on FOBTs.

He said: "The only certainty is that for the first time since media rights income became significant there will be a noticeable downturn in income.

"On a like-for-like basis we've reduced our overall prize-money budget from £1,318,000 to £1,167,900, but I stress this reduction is provisional because it's much easier to increase prize-money than reduce it and we intend to monitor the situation closely.

"If the projected reduction in media rights income does not materialise, we expect to reinstate some, but not all, of the reductions."

He added: "Although the company's contribution had been reduced from £651,130 to £533,116, we will still be unlocking the race incentive and appearance money payments for horses in all Class 4 and 5 races – we don't run any Class 6 races."

All three Sunday meetings will still offer at least £100,000 in prize-money. The course's silver and picnic enclosures have been amalgamated and a new owners' and trainers' facility should be in place for the first of 16 meetings in 2019 on April 9.

Ludlow: potential prize-money cut of up to £50,000 across the Shropshire track's six autumn meetingsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ludlow has been a shining example with its prize-money in recent years, but officials are preparing to make cuts should the financial landscape require it.

Bob Davies, former longstanding general manager and company secretary at the track, who now works in a consultancy role, said: "We have done our prize-money budget to the end of the year and chances are we'll have to reduce it.

"After April we'll probably know more, but in a worst case scenario we could reduce our prize-money by up to £50,000 across our six autumn meetings. If we did that the cut would come off the Class 3 races and above, so rather than a race being worth £25,000 it would be £20,000."

Davies added: "For the good of racing, I'd like to see no meeting with a high-value race and the rest with low values. The high-value race needs to be capped at a percentage of the total on the day."

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