Leading trainer Ralph Beckett doesn't support the call for trainers to boycott TV interviews unless they are paid for them.
Over the weekend news broke that the Professional Racing Association had called for money from media rights companies to allow access to its trainers on racedays, putting them in line with jockeys, who receive an annual group fee for TV input.
They issued a deadline of February 1 unless Racecourse Media Group and Sky Sports Racing agreed. That hasn't happened and on Monday evening the PRA issued an update, saying: "The PRA board met today and reiterated its call for racecourses, RMG (Racecourse Media Group) and Sky (Sports) Racing to show that they value the contribution that trainers make to the show, and also to explain why they have so far been willing to pay the jockeys but not the trainers.
"This money will not be going to trainers personally but to the benefit of the sport, including, among other good causes, to the NTF (National Trainers Federation) Benevolent Fund and Racing Welfare. This is yet another example of racecourses taking horsemen for granted as they have for far too long.
"To say that trainers should be grateful for the exposure is both insulting and symptomatic of the imbalance of the distribution of racecourses’ revenues into prize-money, which the PRA has been investigating for the past year and which it has found in many instances to be unacceptable. The PRA was formed to identify and speak out when it sees issues that are damaging to the sport and financially unfair to horsemen.
"Unless the racecourses and media companies resolve this particular issue by Saturday, the PRA trainer members will refrain from giving interviews at Sandown on Saturday. It is well within the racecourses’ capability to ensure that this situation is avoided. The ball is firmly in their court."
Trainer Dan Skelton told the Racing Post on Saturday evening: "I know the vast majority of trainers are behind this" but former National Trainers Federation president Beckett questioned that assertion.
Speaking on Monday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, he said: “I think the vast majority of trainers as Dan put it is a significant exaggeration based on the trainers’ federation council, certainly 18 trainers that represent 435 trainers were unanimously against the PRA's latest initiative.
"We should be trying to move forward together, trying to grow the sport, in conjunction with the racecourses and the media rights groups rather than charging them for our time.
"I don't think it works, it would have a ripple effect that will have a negative outcome. Whatever was gained from charging for interviews, the racecourses will just take out of prize money and no doubt Mr Payne will be charging for his services as well.
"I don’t think it’s a viable initiative on any level."
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