- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by
.
- Posts
the 2016 Leger still provided a thrilling spectacle, which probably added to the angst Ladbrokes say they are feeling in waving farewell to their successful 12-year sponsorship. The deal is a victim of the BHA’s stance that refuses to accept the backing of firms who are not approved betting partners (ABPs). In other words, firms who do pay financial contributions to racing from the wagers they take in betting shops, but who refuse to do so from their overseas operations, which are not covered by the long-standing levy arrangement and yet embrace bets placed here by phone, online and via mobile apps. Given the wide range of sponsors Doncaster’s admirable marketing team attracts every year for the four-day Leger Festival, I have little doubt they can find a replacement. But Ladbrokes’ loss of the Leger should not be depicted as a sob story, in which the the track and the BHA play the roles of villains. Deploying spin that would have made Tony Blair blush at the height of the last Labour government, the firm’s veteran PR director Mike Dillon said: “It’s totally out of our hands. There’s nothing we can do about it.” Of course, they can do something about it. They can pay up and assume ABP status, just as rival companies Betfair, Bet365 and 32Red have. Ladbrokes haven’t been kicked out of Doncaster. Rather, they have stumbled in the home straight and unseated their rider……
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.