Owners and trainers have targeted a race at Sedgefield today to protest against cuts in prize money introduced this week.

The LJJ Contractors Novices' Hurdle, worth £3,400 in added prize money, attracted 49 entries at £10 a time, but only one horse was declared at yesterday's overnight stage.

That was Prize Ring, trained at Middleham by George Moore.

The race was re-opened and Leyburn-based trainer John Weymes took the opportunity to add Crosby Donjohn to the contest, which opens today's card.

Upper Lambourn trainer Charlie Mann, who removed all his four entries, gave the reasons behind the action.

He said: ''We've done it because of the prize money, or lack of it. There's me, Nicky Henderson, Venetia Williams, Philip Hobbs and Paul Nicholls - we all did the same thing.

''There were 34 entered for that race that were never going to go up to Sedgefield.

''The Flat boys are planning one next week and we are going to have more, too.

''We are not going to stand for it. We have made a point that the owners and trainers can take things like this into their own hands. We have probably got more power than anyone else.

''It will make no difference if both horses run in that race tomorrow.

''I don't think both will run, but at the end of the day the race was targeted and it has worked.

''I haven't slashed my training fees by 30 per cent and if prize money is cut by 30 per cent there's no point us turning up for that kind of money.

''I'm sure this action will be the first of many.''

Moore explained why he confirmed Prize Ring's entry.

''The idea was for 15 horses to be declared and then for none of them to run,'' he said.

''But apparently they changed their minds at 9.30 this morning and didn't tell us until 9.50. I was up on the gallops and my wife Carol was not going to do anything until she had spoken to me and we had spoken to the owner, Graham Frankland.

''I'll have to speak to Graham tonight to see whether he wants to run or not now, but I should think he'll want to.''

Any action is unofficial, as the National Trainers' Federation and Racehorse Owners' Association have both been warned by the Office of Fair Trading that advising their members not to run horses in particular races would breach the 1998 Competition Act.

''I personally, and the NTF, have had absolutely nothing to do with, and no involvement in, whatever action trainers have taken in regard to that race,'' said Rupert Arnold, chief executive of the NTF yesterday.

''If trainers and the owners of those horses who were entered in a race feel as strongly as they do about the situation, it was their choice to do something about it.

''I am delighted they have decided to do something about it as individuals without any need for advice from us.''

Asked if he thought there would be further action, Arnold replied: ''That's down to owners and trainers, it's not down to me.''

Charlie Moore, head of race planning for Northern Racing, the owners of Sedgefield, said: ''It's disappointing that the whole sequence of events has happened.

''We are only implementing the Levy Board cuts and are trying to minimise them as much as possible.

''This race was chosen as it was the first jump race affected by the cuts. Thankfully the sponsors, who are local building contractors, have taken it in good heart.

''We now hope that the two northern trainers who have declared and who are regular supporters of Sedgefield will run their horses, and they have the bonus of £400 from the entry fees.''

The Levy Board introduced cuts in prize money totalling £6m from September 1 to the end of the year to make up for an £8m shortfall against budget from the 2002-3 levy yield.

* A meeting is to be held next Tuesday between the Jockey Club and riders' representatives over the controversial new restrictions on the use of mobile phones.

On the day the jockeys staged yet another mass walk-out to protest at being banned from using their phones on course, the Jockey Club confirmed a meeting will take place at Portman Square.

The news comes 24 hours after the British Horseracing Board decided to back the Jockey Club over the issue.

Club spokesman Owen Byrne said: ''I can confirm there will be a meeting between Martin Cruddace (solicitor representing the jockeys) and senior Jockey Club executives.''

The riders have called on the Jockey Club to compromise on the ban, but Byrne added: ''This is just a meeting to review the situation.''

Philip Robinson, who is leading the campaign against the ruling on behalf of his weighing-room colleagues, said: ''I would like to be there. It will depend what I am riding and I will need to talk to our solicitor.'