Liz Truss’s appointment as prime minister has been hailed as a major positive for racing by fellow Conservative MP Laurence Robertson, who hopes she will oppose the controversial affordability checks, which are set to feature in the upcoming gambling white paper and would cost the sport millions.

Robertson, whose Tewkesbury constituency includes Cheltenham racecourse, has long campaigned against strict betting restrictions and previously described the “devastating impact” affordability checks would have on racing’s finances – a hit estimated at £100 million per year.

Yet Truss…has stressed throughout her leadership campaign that she opposes restrictions on how people can spend their money, and referenced “freedom” and “the ability to control your own life” in her speech on Monday.