THE IMPACT of the current recession on racing took another twist yesterday with confirmation that the bookmaking giant William Hill will not sponsor next year’s Galway Plate. After four years, during which time prize-money for Ireland’s most valuable summer steeplechase prize rose to €250,000, Hills have decided not to take up the option of sponsoring the Ballybrit highlight in 2010.

“It’s an unfortunate casualty of the times, based purely on the economic environment within Ireland currently,” said the Hills spokesman, David Hood.

“The various trading restrictions on bookmakers within the country, coupled with the financial climate, means maintaining a sponsorship of the size of the Galway Plate has become vastly disproportionate to the size of our business in Ireland,” he added.

The Galway authorities were disappointed with the news but course manager John Moloney said: “We are ever conscious of the tough economic times that we are currently faced with.”