The British Horseracing Authority has called a strike on 10 September with all race meetings on the day cancelled as it tries to fight back against potential tax rises which would see the current 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing increased by 6%, bringing the current general betting duty (GBD) to 21% on a par with online games of chance under the remote gaming duty (RGD).

On the same day, the sport will host a major campaign event in Westminster where senior leaders will be joined by owners, trainers and jockeys to highlight the threat of the Treasury’s proposal on an industry which is worth £4.1 billion to the UK economy.

Economic analysis commissioned by the BHA has shown that aligning the current 15 per cent tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with that of online games of chance – currently taxed at 21 per cent – could have a destructive impact on the sport, with a £330 million revenue hit to the industry in the first five years and putting 2,752 jobs at risk in the first year alone.