BHA UPBEAT OVER BUDGET

BRITISH HORSERACING AUTHORITY chair Lord Charles Allen thanked Chancellor Rachel Reeves for her “clear support for our sport” after betting on racing was spared a tax rise in yesterday’s Budget.

- BY DAVID YATES

But bookmakers warned the hikes announced in online gaming duty will be “bad for jobs, bad for customers, bad for sports - and bad for safer gambling”.

The BHA’s Axe The Racing Tax campaign warned a tax rise from 15 per cent could hit the sport for £330m over five years, and put over 2,750 jobs at risk in the first 12 months.