Prize-money pain is only just beginning - and bigger problems loom on horizon

Simmering discontent over Arena Racing Company's prize-money cuts boiled over on Thursday when two Lingfield races on Saturday's card, both worth £1,300 less than the previous year, were in effect boycotted by trainers, drawing just one runner between them.

Such a response had become a question of when not if as anger grew over Arc's decision to cut £3 million from its prize-money contribution – money which would in turn have unlocked £4.5m in additional levy funding – due to the expectation that imminent restrictions on fixed-odds betting terminals will cost the racing industry tens of millions of pounds in lost media rights income.

With this boycott trainers have demonstrated how little sympathy they have for Arc's position. In particular, many are little short of furious the racecourse group chose to cut prize-money before the FOBT restrictions come into force on April 1.