Pollster warns that public opinion divided on horse racing as Polanski highlights horses death at Aintree
Public opinion is divided on the future of horse racing, a pollster has said, after Green Party leader Zack Polanski called for a ban.
The row escalated further at horse racing’s biggest race, the Grand National, sparking outrage just 24 hours after the Golden Dancer’s tragic death at the Aintree Festival.
According to YouGov, 38 per cent of those asked about the future of horse racing in the latest poll supported the ban, the same number who backed it continuing, while 24 per cent were undecided.
In a social media post, they noted: “While Zack Polanski calls for a ban on horse racing, our 2023 poll finds Britons are split on such a ban.”
A senior horseracing figure has claimed the sport’s refusal to intervene in attempts to ban greyhound racing has left it “vulnerable”.
However, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) pointed out that other polls showed clear public support for horse racing.
Strand Polling found that 59 per cent think racehorses are treated well in the UK, 64 per cent think racing takes horse welfare seriously and 60 per cent think racing authorities in the UK are genuinely committed to improving welfare standards.
While 60 per cent of Savanta thought the Grand National should go ahead, 56 per cent of M&C Saatchi said the race, which is planned to be watched by 600 million people worldwide, was an important part of British sporting culture.
Mr Polanski has reiterated his claim over the past few days that “there is something seriously wrong with society accepting it as a sport”, adding: “We need to ban horse racing and indeed all forms of animal cruelty.”
On Friday, animal rights group retweeted PETA’s
And he doubled down on Friday, retweeting another post showing disturbing footage of the Gold Dancer breaking down after being called to the winning line with a broken back.
The post read: “This horse broke its back on the last jump, jockey… Paul Townend then forced the horse at the finish and whipped it to try to finish 1st. The horse was killed.”
Mr Polanski suggested that negative press coverage of his conduct over the past two days was because the establishment was “terrified” as it launched a “plan to stop plundering Britain and take back our power and wealth from those who stole it”.
Animal rights groups have called for a boycott of the Grand National after Golden Dancer, winner of Friday’s second race, died after crossing the finish line.
Recent assessments suggest that the UK horse racing industry is a significant economic driver, contributing around £4 billion a year to the British economy.
As the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, it generates direct and indirect spending of over £3.39 billion, supports more than 17,000 full-time jobs and the overall impact of horses is close to £5 billion.
