BHB Acting Chief Executive Chris Brand said:

“We do not expect public confidence in Racing to fall. The sport is run to very high standards of integrity and people can have confidence that they are watching and betting on fairly run races.

“The current investigations into Italian football clubs and the actions of German referee Robert Hoyzer involving match fixing could hardly be said to have reduced interest in and betting on the World Cup. People can be credited with the necessary intelligence not to conclude that, because a small number of people are charged with criminal actions, an entire sport cannot be trusted.

“The public should be encouraged that the Regulator is determined to root out any malpractice.”

Notes

1. British Racing generated expenditure of £2.856bn in 2005

2. The sport supports some 88,300 full time equivalent jobs, including 18,800 within its core industry.

3. Total racecourse attendance in 2005 stood at 5.9m

4. British Racing is second only to football in terms of revenue and attendances

5. Bookmakers’ gross win on British Racing in 2004/05 totalled £1.1bn