Cheltenham Festival 'Ladies' Day' Commercial Slammed As Transphobic (VIDEO)

WATCH: Controversial Irish Racing Ad Slammed As Transphobic

A controversial new ad for an Irish betting company will continue to air despite a flurry of complaints decrying the clip as transphobic.

Produced by Paddy Power, the "Ladies' Day" commercial asks viewers to identify the transgender women among a crowd of fashionably-dressed female racing fans at the Cheltenham Festival, The Guardian is reporting. "Spot the stallions from the mares," a narrator suggests.

Paddy Power has received over 500 complaints on the clip, but officials are defending it as "simply a bit of mild mannered fun in the run up to the Cheltenham Festival," and note that several transgender performers willingly participated in its production, according to Pink News.

U.S broadcasters ESPN have nonetheless scrapped all plans to air the new ad. "We've reviewed the commercial in question, and have made an internal editorial decision that it will not run on ESPN," an official noted.

Meanwhile, festival organizers have responded by asking viewers to offer their own opinions on the ad. "Many viewers have found the advert – which was broadcast on SkySports in Ireland & the UK this weekend -– in poor taste," they note on their official website. "Some people might find it offensive. Some people thought it was just a bit of a laugh. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!"

Check out some other LGBT advertisements from around the world below:

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