Several hundred Italian racehorse owners, jockeys and stablehands have demonstrated in the city of Milan to demand government action to save their sport from a cash crisis.

Race courses all over Italy went on strike on January the first to highlight the competition from new football gambling games and higher lottery prizes, which have attracted millions of dollars of gambling money away from racing.

Horse-owners say fifty-five thousand jobs in their sport are at risk.

They are threatening to slaughter their animals, unless the government opens new specialized betting shops and lowers taxes on the sport.