SIGN THE PETITION AND HELP TO SAVE OUR SPORT

SIGN THE PETITION AND HELP TO SAVE OUR SPORT

Fakenham Racecourse has asked racegoers to join the fight to ‘Save Our Sport’.

Indeed ‘Save Our Sport’ was in capitals across the front of Monday’s race card for the course’s additional National Hunt Racing meeting.

The race card cover called on government to “stop the implementation of betting affordability/financial risk checks” and included a code linking directly to the petition which demands a halt to the introduction of intrusive checks.

The second race on Monday’s seven-race card was named the Save Our Sport Sign The Petition Handicap.

“We need to get the message through to everybody involved in racing, down to the most casual racegoer, how critical it is to get behind this petition,” said chief executive David Hunter.

“We are all very concerned at how the outrageous suggestions from the Gambling Commission are already having negative effects on racing and will have even more if they’re allowed to go through in their current form.

“The whole industry must do what it can to protect those who get into vulnerable situations, but the draconian, invasive reaction that’s on the cards at the moment is totally out of proportion. Nowhere else in life does the government decide what you can or can’t spend your income on,” he added.

By Monday around 81,000 signatures had been added to the petition.