Fans Show Support for Lingfield Prize-Money Boycott

Owners and trainers found support for their boycott over reduced prize money from racegoers on the terraces at Lingfield Feb. 23 as more professionals came out in favor of further action.

Dennis Keeling, from Croydon, said: "I think the trainers have a point about prize money, and I understand their position. Who wants to run for £3,000 when you might have paid £150,000 for your horse? It won't spoil our day."

Mike Baber, from East Grinstead, added: "It's the thin end of the wedge, and it will happen again before long. You can't blame them going to Chelmsford when the prize money there is so much better, but whether the racecourses will take any notice remains to be seen."

Lingfield's owner, Arena Racing Company, came in for more criticism for its austerity over the big Saturday card being reduced to five competitive races.

Lesley Hurlstone, making a first visit on a pre-booked day out from Solihull, said: "We're very disappointed. We go racing all the time and booked this months ago because we've never been to Lingfield.

"We booked expecting a full card, and we've only got five races and most of them are small fields. It affected the placepot, each-way betting, and all sorts of things, so we felt cheated.

"We went to the office to complain, and they just gave us a token for a free drink, which I don't think is good enough."

The Racehorse Syndicates Association, which has 4,538 members involved in 590 horses who mostly compete in the lower-grade races affected by lower prizes, joined in the condemnation of ARC.

The RSA is supporting the boycott but called for a strategic approach from all sides with "a longer-term, industry-wide, collaborative plan of action to address the situation." 

Jon Hughes, an RSA committee member and Owners for Owners syndicate manager, said: "I've already instructed my five trainers, who have 22 horses, to avoid all low prize-money races wherever practicable.

"Owners need to be supported—not insulted—by racecourses in this ARC debacle."

Epsom trainer Pat Phelan believes it will need tougher action to get ARC's attention. "We have to make some kind of protest, but ARC's track record suggests they don't care," said Phelan.

"It needs to be much stronger, and the way to do it, I think, is to boycott a whole meeting at the last minute, and then they might listen. If we decided in advance to leave one horse in each race through drawing lots, so we still take the money, but then pull the rest out."

Veteran trainer Paul Howling is expecting more action sooner rather than later and said: "It was a great help when prize money had that boost, but it's now back where it was seven years ago. I didn't have entries in the boycotted races, but I would have supported it if I had."