Geraghty calls for increase in betting taxes

LEADING national hunt jockey Barry Geraghty has called on the Government to increase betting taxes so that racing can become self-sufficient.

Speaking in Dublin yesterday, where he was unveiled as Horse Racing Ireland’s ambassador for national hunt racing, Geraghty dismissed the Irish Bookmakers’ Association’s recent criticisms of HRI as an attempt to deflect attention from the fact that betting is not funding racing in the way that it should.

Geraghty will always be associated with equine greats Moscow Flyer and Kicking King, and he hopes to forge equally spectacular partnerships with the likes of Big Zeb (who he compares to Moscow Flyer because both “are mad to live on the edge a bit”), Voler La Vedette, Mad Max, Zaynar and Finian’s Rainbow amongst others over the coming six months.