Trainers welcome wage rise but call for prize-money increase

Trainers yesterday gave a universal welcome to a 5.5 per cent rise in minimum rates of pay for stable staff but also warned that prize-money at lower levels needed to increase to help fund the settlement.

The rise, agreed by the National Joint Council for Stable Staff (NJC), the partnership which represents stable staff and employers, will be applied across all six pay scales from October, is designed to help persuade more workers to enter and stay in the sport.

Newmarket trainer Michael Bell said: "Everyone in life wants to be paid as much as possible and the staff deserve it. Anything that can encourage people to come into the sport and work in the important roles is to be applauded."