Sports Betting News: Daly Blasts the British Horseracing Authority

The cancellation of a race at Newton Abbot on Monday due to a small field has triggered withering criticism from trainer Henry Daly. 
 
His Jimmy The Digger was scheduled to contest the 3m 2f handicap chase alongside two other runners, but the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) removed the race due to the lack of runners. 
 
Read on as we look at why Daly was angered by the decision before assessing some of the other top stories from the sports betting sector this week. 

Daly says the BHA’s decision to cancel the race due to its small field was a reflection of the ‘sad state of affairs’ British racing finds itself in. 
 
He claims it reflected badly on the sport, made it unappealing for owners and ran the risk of horse racing betting sites withdrawing their support. 
 
The BHA has argued it is eager to improve the competitiveness of races, but Daly believes that denying owners the chance to win prize money is not the solution. 

Callum Shepherd said he was ‘pleased and grateful’ after an 18-day ban handed to him by the Kempton stewards was overturned on appeal. 
 
Shepherd was initially charged with failing to ride out to the line in a seven-furlong handicap, causing Thorntonledale Max to finish dead-heated with Flavour Maker. 
 
While the jockey is pleased with the outcome, punters who backed his mount to win on betting apps unfortunately have no chance to recoup the money Shepherd cost them. 

Absurde’s impressive victory in the Listed Chester Stakes sparked a shake-up in the ante-post market for the Melbourne Cup in November. 
 
The Willie-Mullins-trained horse produced an excellent display to earn quotes of 20/1 from UK betting sites for ‘the race that stops the nation’. 
 
Absurde was seventh in last year's Melbourne Cup and could improve on that finish if he replicates the form he showed at Chester.