Talking Horses: Newbury plans prize money boost with media rights move

The embarrassment of a horse race sans horses at Newbury on Saturday, apparently the result of a trainers’ boycott in protest at the prize money on offer, is already receding in the rearview mirror and, since this is the wacky world of racing, the next unseemly internal squabble will doubtless be along soon enough.

But one line that emerged amid the claims and counter-claims over the £6,500 race that didn’t happen bears further examination. While doing what it could to defend its overall prize money offering in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, Newbury pointed out that it plans to boost prize funds significantly from 2023 “when our new media contract comes into effect”.

The media contract in question is a five-year deal, signed just over a year ago, which will see Newbury’s media rights switch from Racecourse Media Group (RMG), its home since 2004, to its major rival, The Racing Partnership (TRP), which is tied to Sky Sports Racing. The major tracks owned and operated by the Jockey Club – including Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket – are the bedrock of the RMG portfolio, while Arena Racing Company (ARC), with 16 courses, is the key player in TRP.

The only significant difference that most punters are likely to notice once the new contract kicks in will be that Newbury’s racing programme – including the Group One Lockinge Stakes in May and the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase in November – will switch from the subscription-based Racing TV to Sky Sports Racing from 1 January 2024.

But there is a good deal more to it than that, as the move also includes picture rights for betting purposes, both in retail – ie, betting shops – and the increasingly dominant online sector, which surged further ahead when