Eddie Ahern misses Glorious Goodwood, whilst the return of Betting Tax for the Punter is a Strong Possibility.
It has been confirmed that Eddie Ahern will not be able to ride during the Glorious Goodwood Festival after an incident that took place in Swden on May 31st. Originally Ahern was given a seven day suspension for an incident that saw two horses brought down and one of the jockeys, Frederick Johansson suffering an injury to his shoulder. Finishing second in the race, he had made a manoeuvre across the horses in the closing stages.
The Swedish Racing Authority were not happy with the seven day break, considering the punishment to lenient, and appealed the decision on the basis that Aherns riding was reckless. The appeal was upheld and the ban increased from 7 to 14 days. It will see Ahern out of action from July 20th to August 2nd inclusive.
Whilst this is an aggravation for the jockey, the news that betting tax may be reintroduce to offshore firms is more of a concern for punters. Legislation is being tabled today, requiring a tax to be paid when placing bets on sports or gaming with firms based outside the UK.
Many bookmakers packed their bags and moved offshore years ago and since then, the government has lost many millions in revenue, not to mention what horse racing has missed out on in Levy.
We wait to find out what plans are afoot, in what the tax will be, what it will look like and how it will affect punters, as well as what slice of the pie the Levy will be handed. As soon as Valuechecker knows, You'll know