Tag Archive for: British Horseracing Authority

Callum Shepherd successful in appeal against 18-day ban

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Callum Shepherd has successfully appealed against an 18-day ban imposed by the Kempton stewards last month.

Riding the David Simcock-trained Thorntonledale Max in a seven-furlong handicap, Shepherd was judged to have failed “to take all reasonable and permissible measures on a horse which would have finished outright first” after Flavour Maker forced a dead-heat on the line.

Shepherd “completely refuted” the allegation at the time, and contested that decision before the British Horseracing Authority’s independent panel on Tuesday morning.

During a lengthy hearing, Shepherd argued he had not stopped riding in the finish, but had lost his balance when using his whip for the final time and came up in the saddle in order to recover his rhythm, insisting his mount had lost “no momentum whatsoever” in the process.

He described it as “embarrassing to watch” and said he “looked a mess” but had continued to ride as he tried to regain his usual style.

“I look all the over the place, it looks bad and I would be the first to say it but it is unusual and completely unintended,” he said.

The panel agreed with Shepherd’s defence and quashed the penalty.

Panel chairperson HH James O’Mahony said: “Whether or not there was an admitted or in fact a mistake is open to argument.

“We accept the reality of life in sport and particularly in racing that things happen very fast and if every time a jockey made an error of judgement there was to be hearing about it, then hearings would go on every day and forever. So it is open to us to consider as we judge it the question of an acceptable explanation.

“We find on the balance of probabilities there was a loss of rhythm and an imbalance that had some causal connection with the appearance and the fact of Mr Shepherd rising as he did above the saddle in the closing strides, and we were able to say that on the most infinitesimal and minute observation of the footage any number of times, from all relevant angles and with close noting of specific times.

“We add that there was no apparent loss of momentum as far as the horse was concerned and finally we emphasise that this case is decided on its own facts and is in no way a precedent or a ruling on any matter of principle that may arise in future cases of this kind.

“The sanction is, of course, quashed.

“We add that in the time available to the stewards when they made their decision, they had nothing like the opportunity that we have had to examine the evidence in such detail.”



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BHA concludes Newton Abbot fatalities due to ‘unique circumstances’

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Friday’s meeting at Newton Abbot will go ahead as scheduled after the British Horseracing Authority completed a “thorough assessment” following four equine fatalities at the track last week.

The South Devon circuit hosted a seven-race card for its most recent fixture on ground that was officially good, good to firm in places, and after the unusual number of casualties the sport’s governing body vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The BHA said that while the reviews into the individual fatalities are still to be completed, it has determined that the injuries were sustained in “unique circumstances and there appears to be no external factor linking them”.

A statement read: “Following four fatalities at its most recent fixture, the BHA’s racecourse and veterinary teams have worked closely with colleagues at Newton Abbot to understand as best as possible the circumstances behind each incident.

“The BHA’s racecourse and facilities manager is satisfied that there was no issue with the racing surface or any other facility at the track that caused these incidents. This followed an inspection of conditions at Newton Abbot and a thorough assessment of the track’s racing surface maintenance records.

“While the individual equine fatality reviews are ongoing, it has been determined that each injury was sustained in unique circumstances and there appears to be no external factor linking them.

“Newton Abbot’s record demonstrates how rare such occurrences are; in the last two full years, 2022 and 2023, a total of 1,524 runners competed at the track, resulting in three fatalities (defined as a horse being fatally injured as a direct result of their injuries on the raceday or within 48 hours of the raceday).

“This equates to a fatal injury rate of 0.20 per cent, below the current national jumps average of 0.42 per cent.

“In addition, a detailed investigation of the circumstances surrounding each fatality is being conducted by the Fatality Review Group. This process follows every fatality on all racedays.

“The BHA and racecourse veterinary teams will, as always, be on hand at Friday’s meeting to ensure horses are in the best condition for racing, including by carrying out pre-race examinations for all runners.”



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BHA says betting revenue falls in first quarter of 2024

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Despite making some progress with regards prize-money and the competitiveness of Premier fixtures, the British Horseracing Authority has reported a decline in overall betting turnover for the first three months of this year.

Wet weather has been blamed for disappointing results regarding jumps meetings, but key Flat cards have performed much better.

However, reflecting on overall figures, the BHA stated: “The impact of affordability checks and the challenging economic climate have contributed towards betting on racing having been in decline for some time and that trend has continued from January to March, when total betting turnover dropped by 5.9%.”

Attendance figures at racecourses up to the end of April were 6.4% lower than the same period in 2023, but it is not all doom and gloom.

“More positively, the betting companies report that the number of active bettors are up, in particular on Saturdays,” added the BHA.

“It is too early to be reaching any strong conclusions on betting numbers but, removing the effect of the Cheltenham Festival, Premier Racedays are outperforming betting on the rest of the fixture list; the decline at Premier Fixtures was 2.7%, compared with 5.2% across Core meetings.

“The introduction of Premier Raceday fixtures on Sundays has seen a particularly strong start, with betting turnover per race at these meetings 21.3% higher compared to equivalent fixtures in 2023.”

Total prize-money at Premier Fixtures increased by £3.2m, while competitiveness at Flat Premier meetings is running at a four-year high for average field size, percentage of races with eight or more runners and the percentage of races with odds-against favourites.

Upon publication of the 2024 fixture list, the BHA introduced a two-year trial of a number of initiatives designed to maximise opportunities around the biggest fixtures and increase the public’s engagement with horseracing.

Regarding the initial Q1 update, the governing body stated: “It is very important to stress that it is early days into the two-year trial to be reporting on numbers.

“Moreover, the period under review was beset by wet weather and a relatively high level of abandonments, including of some key meetings and races.

“It will be possible to form a more reliable view of how things are progressing once we get to the end of June and have data for the first half of the year.”



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British Horseracing Authority ‘deeply saddened’ by Newton Abbot fatalities

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The British Horseracing Authority has launched an investigation after four equine fatalities at Newton Abbot’s National Hunt card on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting hosted seven races on ground that was officially good, good to firm in places, and after the unusual number of casualties the sport’s governing body has vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, adding it is “deeply saddened”.

A BHA statement read: “Our thoughts are with everyone connected to the horses who suffered fatal injuries yesterday. The loss of any horse is always a dreadful occurrence for the owners, trainers and stable staff who provide them with outstanding care and attention throughout their lives, and so a day like yesterday is one that deeply saddens all of us who love the sport.

“Losing four horses at a single fixture is extremely rare but this does not reduce the seriousness with which the BHA takes this matter. All four deaths will be thoroughly investigated to understand as best as possible how they occurred and a report will also be compiled on the condition of the course, which is being assessed in order to ascertain whether there are any concerns regarding the racing surface.”

A statement from Patrick Masterson, managing director of Newton Abbot racecourse, read: “All at Newton Abbot Races Limited are deeply saddened by the loss of four horses at our meeting yesterday. All our sympathies are with the owners and trainers of the horses concerned. We will assist the British Horseracing Authority with their enquiries into the full facts.”

World Horse Welfare also welcomed the investigation and pointed out that the deaths underline the importance of studies being undertaken in the industry to reduce the risks faced by National Hunt horses.

Roly Owers, chief executive of the organisation, said: “The deaths of Happy Helen, Hallowed Rose, Bala Brook and Cuzzicombe are thoroughly tragic and certainly need to be urgently reviewed.

“This is not the outcome anyone wants from a day of racing, but it does highlight once again the importance of the Jump Race Risk Model analysis being undertaken by the BHA in conjunction with the Royal Veterinary College, as more needs to be done to reduce the risk faced by horses and jockeys in racing.

“We keenly await the outcome of the BHA investigation.”



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HRI ‘deeply shocked and appalled’ at RTE documentary

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Horse Racing Ireland has stated it is “deeply shocked and appalled” by the findings of an RTE documentary investigating the abuse horses can suffer after they leave the racing spotlight.

Whilst defending overall standards of equine welfare within the industry, the governing body insisted it “has zero tolerance for mistreatment of horses in any circumstance”.

A full statement reads: “The Board, management and staff of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) are deeply shocked and appalled by the content of the RTE Investigates documentary broadcast on RTE 1 tonight.

“The criminal behaviour depicted in the RTE documentary is disgusting and is not the experience of the vast majority of the 30,000 people who make their livelihood in the horse racing and breeding industry in Ireland.

“HRI has zero tolerance for mistreatment of horses in any circumstance and criminal and regulatory sanction must be imposed on anyone found to have behaved in an illegal way towards horses.

“Equine safety and care is HRI’s top priority, and this year HRI will invest €16.1 million in welfare and integrity services. The thoroughbred horse is enshrined in Irish and EU law. Significant legal and regulatory checks and balances are in place for thoroughbred horses from birth through their racing career and life cycle.

“HRI will review the issues raised in the RTE documentary and will actively support any Department of Agriculture or Garda investigation, and urge anyone with information about mistreatment of horses to report it to An Garda Siochana.”

The programme was described by RTE as a major new investigation examining the Irish and European horse industries.

It said: “The team went inside the equine industry to show how some of these horses are slaughtered in Ireland, while others are given new identities and traded in deals across Europe.”

Issuing its own response, the British Horseracing Authority said “urgent steps” must be taken.

A statement read: “We share in the shock and dismay regarding the images of abhorrent abuse and malpractice from an abattoir in Ireland which was broadcast on RTE last night.

“Urgent steps must be taken by the appropriate bodies to improve standards for all horses sent to this facility, and sanctions imposed on anyone found to have committed illegal acts or broken regulatory requirements.

“We are aware of the illegal tampering of horse passports and believe the introduction of a digital-only system for equine ID is essential to stop this practice. British racing, alongside other equestrian sports and welfare bodies, has repeatedly lobbied Government to introduce digital ID. We will continue to make it a core ask of the new administration.

“British racing’s goal, as set out in the independently-chaired Horse Welfare Board’s strategy ‘A Life Well Lived’, is to achieve 100 per cent traceability of racehorses when they retire and take their first move from the sport.

“For horses for whom euthanasia is required – which in some circumstances is the most humane outcome – we are here to help those responsible make difficult but timely decisions. Our code of practice for euthanasia emphasises that horses must be allowed to retain their dignity to the end of their lives and if euthanasia is the only option, it should be performed at home or in suitable surroundings.

“In 2022 we imposed a rule that all racehorses which run in Great Britain must be signed out of the human and animal food chain. It was introduced to prevent any horse from racing in Britain and then legally being sold for slaughter to abattoirs, either domestically or internationally.

“British racing is open and transparent about the horses involved in our sport. Facts and information about the horses who are bred for racing, the lives they lead, and what happens when they leave the sport, including how they are supported by the sport’s dedicated aftercare charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), can be found on www.horsepwr.co.uk.”

Ireland’s Agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue said those responsible for the alleged mistreatment of horses will face the “full rigour of the law”.

“The scenes we saw last night and the treatment of those horses was abhorrent and distressing. Horses are beautiful, sensitive animals and that was absolutely unacceptable,” Mr McConalogue said.

“It’s certainly not representative of the way that people across this country and those in the industry treat and care for their horses. We already have commenced an investigation in the Department of Agriculture.

“Obviously, I would avoid saying anything that might be prejudicial to the conduct of that investigation. But I can assure you and I can assure the public that this will be fully investigated, and that the full rigour of the law will be applied here.

“The law is adequate but what we saw last night was not lawful, and it was breaches of the law.”



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BHA chief Harrington buoyed by HorsePWR response

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British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington has expressed her delight at the positive response to this week’s new HorsePWR campaign relating to welfare in racing.

Encouraging feedback has flooded in from various sectors of the sport, with trainers, jockeys, breeders, owners and media representatives welcoming the initiative.

HorsePWR has its own dedicated website to provide information about the sport and the thoroughbred, the lives they lead and the high welfare and safety standards within racing.

In a statement on www.horsepwr.co.uk, Harrington said: “The response to our HorsePWR campaign is unprecedented for racing. For the industry to rally behind this cause with such full-throated support is immensely heartening.

“We deliberately took a bold and innovative approach to tackling welfare concerns fully aware that it carried a risk of a negative response in some quarters.

“But the way the sport has readily embraced this new concept shows just how much everyone in it recognises that perceptions around welfare are a critical issue for our future.

“It also shows that we recognise the need to be open, transparent and to tackle welfare concerns head-on.

“We should have confidence in what we do and understand that it is through education and information that we will build trust in the sport.

“We are extremely grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have supported the campaign.

“This is just the start and it is important to recognise that the impact campaigns have should never be judged on one day alone.

“We want to grow the campaign and use it to reach wider audiences. We also call on the sport to continue to promote and support the campaign as much as possible. It is in everyone’s best interest to do so.”

The website explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, such as the lives horses go on to have after racing, reducing risk on and off course and facts surrounding the whip.



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All-weather fields encouraging but jumps racing ‘short’ on numbers

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Further adjustments to the National Hunt programme have been “under discussion” as the British Horseracing Authority seeks to improve competitiveness within that sphere.

A total of 300 jumps races and 20 jumps meetings were removed from the 2024 fixture list as part of a package of initiatives focussed on increasing field sizes.

However, the BHA’s director of racing and betting Richard Wayman reports that while the numbers of runners for all-weather meetings on the Flat in the first three months of the year have been pleasing, National Hunt numbers have not reached similar heights.

While citing the wet winter as a possible reason for a lack of competition, Wayman admits jump racing is “short of where we want it to be”.

He said: “It is a mixed picture. If we wanted to look at it positively, on the all-weather through the winter our Flat fixtures have generated probably more competitive racing than we have had for a long time.

“If we look at the percentage of races that have attracted eight runners, you’ve got to go back to 2007 to find the sort of percentage we have achieved in the first three months of this year.

“Obviously, jumping isn’t where we want it to be and we continue to face our challenges with the competitiveness of jump racing. The numbers for jump racing on core fixtures are around 47 per cent, a little bit better at the Premier meetings but either way that is short of where we want it to be.

“I think we haven’t been helped by the ground conditions that we have faced through the first three months of this year – 78 per cent of races have been run on soft or heavy ground compared to 44 or 43 per cent in the last two years, it just demonstrates how wet it has been and that clearly will have had an impact on field sizes.

“However, it is important to stress we’re not using that as an excuse, I think that has been a factor in where we are this year but the challenges we face with jump racing competitiveness are beyond just the fact we’ve had a wet three months.

“We’ve introduced measures this year, we made changes to the programme, we took out 300 races through the year and some will have fallen in the first quarter. It is certainly under discussion whether we need to go further for 2025 in an attempt to make racing more competitive at this time next year than it has been in the last few months.

“Having said that, in our view, you can’t just keep reducing fixtures and/or races with a view to making jump racing more competitive. There are more fundamental issues that as a sport we are going to need to tackle to try to support the long-term future of jump racing.

“We are looking at that and I think we will need to introduce further measures beyond race volume to try to support the future of jump racing longer term.”

During a briefing call, the BHA’s director of communications and corporate affairs Greg Swift confirmed discussions remain ongoing with the Betting and Gaming Council over a reform of the levy, with gambling minister Stuart Andrew due to issue an update later this month.

Swift said: “Meetings are accelerated between BGC and DCMS – in fact, I had a meeting with them this morning.

“We will have at least two next week and we had two last week and there are conversations and meetings that take place outside of those formal arrangements with DCMS at which the minister is trying to bring us closer to an agreed position.

“We continue to work at pace, in good faith on all sides. We are not there yet but we will keep our shoulder to the wheel to try to get an arrangement agreed with the sports minister in time for him to update the house on April 24.”



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Harrington ‘well aware’ of overwhelming number of Irish-trained Festival favourites

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British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington will not be pushing the panic button just yet should Ireland once again dominate at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Following a nightmare Festival for the home side in 2021 which saw just five winners for British trainers, the BHA set up the Quality Jump Racing Review Group, with a stated aim “to strengthen the performance of British jump racing at the top end of the pyramid”.

A series of recommendations was then unveiled at the start of 2022, with further tweaks to the fixture list this term in an attempt to improve the upper tier of British National Hunt racing.

Harrington says it is too early to really see those initiatives come to fruition, but with Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino the only British-trained ante-post Grade One market leader throughout next week, with Willie Mullins holding a tremendously strong hand on all four days, the issue remains a high-profile one.

She said: “We’re well aware of the number of Irish favourites across all the days. It is early days and there’s interventions all the way through breeding in terms of incentives for British-bred, retaining your horse here in training, but we’re not naive.

“We know the decision of many owners to place their horses with what they would consider in-form trainers. When you speak to the top British-based trainers, they do understand it is often cyclical which is why the fact it’s early days, you do need to let some of the interventions play out a bit more.

“Is it something we continue to be concerned about and continue to have a watching brief on? Of course. It’s been well debated some of the interventions or potential interventions that we’ve consulted on, but we will continue to do so.”

Talks are currently ongoing between the BHA and bookmakers on levy reform and Greg Swift, director of communications and corporate affairs, believes the issue of competitiveness is ultimately linked to the levy.

“It’s a valid point. It brings us back to the need for levy reform,” he said.

“One of the cases that we have made to DCMS throughout the entire process around the need for levy reform is around the competitive issue and making sure that we have enough money flowing into the sport to maintain Britain’s competitiveness and our position at the top table.

“That is one of the things we will continue to press.”



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British and Irish authorities announce anti-doping initiative

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Governing bodies in Britain and Ireland have pledged to pull together to enforce a “zero tolerance” policy on doping in horseracing.

The British Horseracing Authority and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board will combine resources to formally continue stepping up levels of out of competition testing across both jurisdictions.

To kick off the new anti-doping and medication control initiative, almost 250 samples were taken from more than 120 horses that are entered for the Cheltenham Festival in an operation across 14 training premises in Ireland.

While any tests will be subject to individual IHRB or BHA protocols relating to the relevant region they are taken in, there will be a transparent exchange of any adverse results or findings that arise.

All samples will be tested by LGC Laboratory, one of six laboratories worldwide which is recognised as a referenced laboratory by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

BHA director of equine regulation, safety and welfare James Given said: “The BHA welcomes the collaboration with the IHRB to demonstrate to stakeholders and the public that horses running from either side of the Irish sea in each other’s races do so under the same level of scrutiny.

“Not only will our Medication Control and Anti-Doping (MCAD) team have access to more information about visiting horses, but there will be opportunities for our wider team to share ideas and best practice in other areas of our work.

“Like the IHRB, this is aligned with our aims around international collaboration, the response to racecourse accidents and the overall improvement of equine safety and welfare.”

IHRB chief veterinary officer Dr Lynn Hillyer commented: “The IHRB Strategy 2024-2027 commits us to close engagement with international horseracing bodies and benchmarking ourselves against best international practice.

“This new venture shows stakeholders and the racing public that we collaborate as professionals across both sides of the Irish Sea, sharing best practice and resources and demonstrating equally stringent regulatory processes and standards to the extent that our anti-doping and medication control programmes are interoperable.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with our BHA colleagues in this way and see it as a positive step forward that reinforces the point that there is no room for anything other than the highest standards of integrity and welfare in either jurisdiction.”



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Racing authorities working on full review into tragic death of Keagan Kirkby

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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Point-to-Point Authority (PPA) have pledged to carry out a full review into the tragic death of Keagan Kirkby to gauge whether any lessons can be learned.

A highly-valued member of the Paul Nicholls team in Ditcheat, Kirkby, 25, was riding at a meeting at Charing in Kent on Sunday when his horse ran through the wing of a fence in the final race of the day.

A joint-statement from the BHA and PPA read: “The necessary steps in response to this tragic incident commenced immediately after the race on Sunday and have continued today.

“The BHA are visiting the site and will work with the PPA, the racecourse and attending medical teams to ensure that the incident is fully reviewed.

“All of the relevant bodies will also assist the police and/or Environmental Health Officer with any enquiries they wish to make.

“The medical facilities and teams at Charing racecourse on Sunday were fully compliant with the required standards and included two racecourse doctors and three fully equipped ambulances with paramedic crews.

“The medical team attended Mr Kirkby within 30 seconds of his fall. Further support was provided by 999 road and air ambulances.

“Despite the immediate medical attention, the injuries were of such an extent that it was not possible to save Mr Kirkby’s life.

“It is important that, with any incident such as this, we do all that we can to understand what caused it, and whether there is anything we can learn from it.

“There is a risk attached to racing which can never be entirely removed, but we are committed to ensure that we assess every incident and use any findings to help continually improve our safety record.

“Our thoughts remain with Keagan Kirkby’s family and his many friends and colleagues from within the racing industry and beyond.

“The Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) are coordinating support for the Kirkby family, his places of work and any staff member or participant at the event.”

Tributes have poured in for Kirkby, led by Sir Anthony McCoy, Kirkby’s boyhood hero, who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Tragically sad news. My thoughts are with Keagan’s family, friends and everyone at Ditcheat.”

Leading trainer Fergal O’Brien commented: “Every now and then, things happen that make you regain perspective. A very sad day for racing. Love to those who lost a friend.”

Nicholls’ stable jockey Harry Cobden said: “A terrible tragedy. Keagan loved his job and was an integral part of Team Ditcheat.”

Assistant trainer Charlie Davies added: “A heartbreaking day, Keagan was as kind and enthusiastic a guy you could meet.

“We started at Paul’s on the same day four and a half years ago and became great friends. I am and always will be proud to be your friend and will miss you greatly.”

Fellow Ditcheat team member Scott Sainsbury posted: “Heartbroken is an understatement, to have you as a best friend has been the biggest privilege life has given to me.

“Such a kind soul and an absolute gentleman and to know that I won’t be able to give you a hug and catch up with you anymore tears me up.”



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Bookmakers report steady start for first Sunday evening fixture

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Bookmakers have reported turnover on Sunday evening’s historic meeting at Wolverhampton “on a par” with a typical midweek all-weather fixture.

Racing took place at Dunstall Park as the first of six trial meetings scheduled on Sunday evenings through the winter, in an attempt to boost racing’s finances through increased contribution from bookmakers to the Levy.

The card featured strong numerical fields and enhanced prize-money with a minimum of £15,000 per race, with most races run for almost three times the minimum value for their respective grade.

However, concerns remain about the well-being of the participants and winning jockeys Callum Shepherd and Robert Havlin both spoke out against the trial but felt they would lose rides in the future if they did not take part.

Coral spokesperson David Stevens said: “New initiatives such as this should always be given time to bed-in, and this first meeting was up against a big FA Cup match live on terrestrial TV (Arsenal versus Liverpool), which would have had an impact, but overall it was a very solid start, with turnover on a par with a typical evening meeting.”

Betfred’s Matt Hulmes offered a similar assessment, saying: “We took what we would normally expect on an evening all-weather meeting – it was our best performing Wolverhampton meeting of the week, but you would expect that to be the case given the increased prize-money.

“It was broadly what we take at most evening all-weather meetings, but it was the second-highest turnover meeting on the all-weather last week.”

Paddy Power painted a brighter picture, with the firm’s Paul Binfield saying the new meeting was among their best staking fixtures of the week.

He said: “The new Sunday evening fixture performed really well with competitive fields of more than 11 runners and an average favourite SP of more than 2-1.

“The card was in our top five highest-staking fixtures of the week with a double-figure stakes increase on the average Wolverhampton card over the last three months.”

Wolverhampton is part of Arena Racing Company and their group operations director Mark Spincer told Sky Sports Racing on Sunday a view would be taken after all six of the trial meetings had taken place.

“As a group we decided Sunday night could be an area that would drive Levy, it gives us opportunity to own an area – when I say ‘us’, I’m talking about the all-weather tracks – that currently doesn’t have a huge amount of sport in which could mean increased turnover, which means better Levy and overall better financial performance,” said Spincer.

“I can only speak for ARC tracks and from our point of view, whatever public we get we want to accommodate. I think there’s a nice crowd, probably 6/700 being a part of history.

“I think we need to try new things, things take time to grow, look at the Racing League or Good Friday, things take time to get established, last year’s Racing League was our best attendance, Good Friday was a record attendance last year as well.

“Can we make something of the Sunday evenings? I’m sure we can at some point remembering that there are six, it’s a trial and then we pull up stumps and everybody looks at how well it has performed or not performed and then decisions will be made on the future. I’m not prepared to make any comments past six because it’s agreed as a trial and that is exactly what we are in.”

Richard Wayman, chief operating officer at the British Horseracing Authority, said one of the main aims of Sunday racing was to help grow interest in British racing.

“One of the things we are trying to do as part of the Industry Strategy is to try to grow interest in racing and grow the number of people who follow the sport,” he said.

“We’ve got various workstreams in relation to the fixture list which are designed to try to achieve that. Make more of the big stuff on a Saturday through Premierisation and we want to improve the quality of Sunday racing and through listening to our colleagues in the betting industry, who have told us there is significant growth in the amounts of money being bet generally on a Sunday evening, (we are staging the trial).

“What we don’t know at this stage is the appetite for betting on British racing on a Sunday evening, so the purpose of the six trial meetings is just to try to ascertain what demand there is. These six fixtures will tell us what the demand is.

“Callum’s comments are perfectly understandable as this does put a lot of strain on those people servicing the fixtures such as jockeys, trainers, stable staff, our own staff, the racecourse staff servicing those fixtures as there are a lot of people involved in putting a race meeting on, so as part of the trial we will get feedback from all of those people.

“At the end of those six fixtures we’ll take a view on whether this is something we should be thinking about long term or not, but only by trying it can we make that decision.

“The betting industry will make the figures available to the BHA and we have set targets. We’d like to see these meetings outperform a regular all-weather night meeting by 15-20 per cent, even if it does do that it doesn’t necessarily mean it will carry on.”

The next Sunday evening fixture is scheduled for Chelmsford on January 21.



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Updated Safeguarding and Human Welfare Strategy represents ‘watershed moment’ – BHA

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An updated Safeguarding and Human Welfare Strategy has been published by the British Horseracing Authority in what it described as a “watershed moment” for the sport.

Covering an initial four-year period, the BHA said the strategy “sets out immediate and longer-term objectives to ensure a safe, respectful, and enjoyable working environment for all, with the highest standards of behaviour and free from any kind of abuse”.

Since 2018, the BHA said it has received and investigated over 350 safeguarding and human welfare concerns – a high proportion of which relate to sexual misconduct, bullying and abusive conduct. Recent data shows a rise in the number of referrals concerning complex abuse cases, including serious sexual offences.

In 2021, Dr Eleanor Boden gave a talk at the Racing Foundation conference talk entitled ‘Where did all the girls go?’, detailing what were said to be incidences of unacceptable behaviour towards women in the sport.

BHA chair Joe Saumarez Smith said he “apologised unreservedly” on behalf of British racing to those who have experienced harm or unacceptable behaviour.

“We have long stated that ‘racing is everyone’s sport’, but the findings from Dr Boden’s report and the data and evidence underpinning the wider strategy demonstrate that this has not always been the case. Horseracing has at times fallen short and let people down,” he said.

“On behalf of British racing, I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has experienced harm and behaviour that is unacceptable. I also want to thank those who have shared their stories and provided powerful personal testimony. We are sorry and we will work determinedly to put this right.”

While the BHA acknowledged on a media call that the number of complaints is on the rise, it was stressed this could also be viewed as an increase in the levels of confidence participants have in the complaints procedure.

It was also pointed out that racing as a whole offered up more situations which leant itself to complaints with employees often traveling together, working overnight and with the workforce being comprised of a large proportion of young adults.

Rather than a reflection on racing, the rise in incidents is viewed more as a general societal issue. However, the BHA knows that the industry is not “immune”.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: “Racing is not immune to problems like bullying and sexual misconduct, and I know that for women in particular, it has often been easier to keep your head down and suffer in silence. I am truly sorry to hear the stories of bullying, sexual misconduct and, in some cases, serious sexual abuse. This has no place in British racing or wider society.

“The onus is on everyone in our sport to put it right. I’m convinced that we have already started to see a cultural shift, where people feel more confident to speak up. This is difficult and takes immense courage, and we must create the environment where unacceptable conduct is called out and those who experience harm are empowered to come forward.”

She added: “Our updated Safeguarding and Human Welfare Strategy can build on and accelerate this work. It can be a watershed moment for our sport, where we collectively commit to the highest standards and take action when our shared values of tolerance and respect are abused.

“This is not only the right thing to do; it is critical if we are to recruit, retain and develop a happy, valued and high-performing workforce – and secure British racing’s sustainable, long-term future.”

:: Anyone who needs help, support or witnesses or experiences any unacceptable behaviour should report it to respect@britishhorseracing.com, or call the BHA’s confidential reporting service, RaceWISE on 08000 852 580.



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We are working hard to make racing’s case on affordability checks, says Harrington

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The British Horseracing Authority is working to substantiate warnings that the government’s proposed affordability checks will drive bettors to an unlicensed black market.

The review to the Gambling Act has focused on problem gamblers and thus the concept of financial checks for those regularly betting, whether to a damaging extent or not, has been under discussion during the white paper stage.

As racing is inherently linked to the gambling industry these limitations are likely to have damaging consequences for the sport, and grave concerns have been aired by a number of leading figures over the potential fallout.

One projected consequence is that the horse racing bettor will turn to unlicensed and unregulated gambling firms if betting via established operators becomes unavailable to them. A number of owners have already spoken out over what they say are obtrusive checks, saying they will walk away or dramatically cut their interests.

The BHA is highlighting this to the government and the Gambling Commission as the nature of the reviewed Gambling Act takes shape, with a significant survey undertaken to illustrate the risk.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, addressed the matter on a press call about the 2024 fixture list, saying: “There’s is a huge amount of uncertainty created by the the review of the Gambling Act and the white paper. If the financial risked-based checks are frictionless, as we we hope they will be but everybody is rightly concerned, I think being in control of our destiny and in control of what we can is important in this environment.

“There is a huge amount of work that has gone on globally and a lot of work already published in the public domain by the Asian Racing Foundation about the factual existence of a black market and the sort of volumes that are going through. It’s well-funded academic research and of course we’ve shared that with colleagues at the Gambling Commission.

“We do believe that there are punters going to the black market, there is research that shows it. We’ve done our own surveys with punters, it’s really good to gather evidence to show both the government and the Gambling Commission about our own customers, our regular, engaged racing fans who read racing publications, what are they telling us? How many of them are telling us they have been approached by operators? How many of them are saying they’ve followed up on that approach?

“What we’ve been doing is work behind the scenes to make sure that can be substantiated. Anecdotally, we have worked with a lot of owners and they have allowed us to share their case studies of being approached by operators – whether that’s grey market, they’re not UK-licensed operators, or black market – offering them terms to get a bet on.

“For us to give named major owners to the Gambling Commission as evidence to say ‘don’t just take our word for it, here are people who are being directly approached and enticed to get a bet on’.”

Harrington also stressed the importance of making sure the government acknowledged a distinction between skill-based betting, such as on sport, and on games of chance in casinos or the virtual equivalent.

In addition to that, Harrington spoke of the need for an understanding of the reality of the affordability checks – which the government insists will be “frictionless” and “unobtrusive” for the vast majority – as bookmakers may currently be overzealous in their restrictions out of undue caution.

“Within the white paper the government does acknowledge the difference between a horse racing bettor and a casino bettor. This is absolutely different in that it’s a game of skill versus chance, speed of play, all of those measures,” she said.

“We just tell them, tell them and tell them again, the difference, the potential impact. We know they’re listening, we know in every speech that is made, the Select Committee hearings, all the right things are said in terms of ‘we don’t want to damage horse racing, this is an important cultural asset’.

“What we need is interventions and as the Gambling Commission brings the consultation to a close, we need the frictionless financial risk-based checks to be out there and being tested.

“Rather than at the moment, there is the suspicion that operators are acting in a more draconian fashion ahead of those measures, because until they’ve got visibility of them and they’re being tested they are going to do that because they are scared of a heavy fine.”



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Premier Racedays to take centre stage in 2024

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The long-awaited 2024 fixture list has been released by the British Horseracing Authority.

The introduction of ‘Premier Racedays’ had already been announced, while there has also been an effort to significantly boost Sunday racing.

There will be 170 Premier Raceday cards in 2024 across 38 courses. In comparison only 115 meetings in 2023 would have met the criteria which the BHA believes shows the willingness of courses to improve the product they are offering.

It is believed that by creating two tiers it will help point customers towards the headline meetings, and by giving them more space in the 2-4pm slot giving them “room to breath” will allow the sport to better promote stories and improve betting revenue.

During the window there will be two Premier fixtures with only one other allowed in the 2-4pm slot on 33 Saturdays while on the remaining 19 four meetings will be allowed. Of the others, five meetings will begin earlier than this year with the addition of a new fixture at Chelmsford making six. There will be 36 meetings starting later than this year.

As for the famously packed Saturday on July 13, Newmarket, York and Ascot will race between 2-4pm while Chester will start later with Hamilton and Salisbury in the evening.

Sunday racing will feature better quality racing and also a trial of evening racing. There will be 29 Premier Sunday Racedays.

There will be a trial of six Sunday evenings in the first quarter of 2024 with £145,000 in prize-money required for each, while there will be additional payments for jockeys and grooms involved at these meetings.

Premier Racedays will benefit from a total of £3.8million in funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).

Another issue addressed is that of field sizes, statistically at their lowest for 30 years over both Flat and jumps. As a result 20 National Hunt fixtures have been cut meaning there will be 1,468 compared to 1,488 in 2023.

Another initiative to increase competitiveness is that class four handicaps with three or fewer declarations will now be cancelled.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Compiling this year’s fixture list was a truly collaborative process on a scale which I have never before seen in our industry, with the sport pulling in the same direction to achieve a shared objective. I am extremely grateful to my teams at the BHA and everyone across the sport who has engaged so constructively in this process.

“There was agreement across the industry that steps were required to increase racing’s appeal to customers at the earliest opportunity, as well as addressing the current headwinds facing the sport.

“We accept and expected that, with significant change, there will always be some who feel that the cards have not fallen their way. However, the objective for these changes is that they grow the sport as a whole, with benefits that reach throughout the entire industry in the medium to long-term.

“This is the first major step in what is a long-term transformational plan. The expectation is that the changes should generate more revenue, which will allow us to invest in other key areas – including attracting new fans and new owners and increasing the reward and recognition of all our existing participants.

“All of these changes are being introduced on a trial basis. They will be closely monitored and measured.”



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Whip rules tweaked once more by BHA

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A series of further tweaks to the whip rules have been announced by the British Horseracing Authority.

Regulations concerning the use of the whip underwent major changes earlier this year, with the numbers of strikes allowed in Flat and jumps races reduced to six and seven respectively, with a tougher penalty structure for those in breach, including doubled suspensions for major races and disqualification in the most serious of cases.

The changes have resulted in some high-profile casualties, with both Frankie Dettori and Oisin Murphy handed eight-day bans at Royal Ascot, which saw Dettori forfeit his final chance to win the July Cup – the only British Group One he has not claimed – ahead of his retirement at the end of the year.

The BHA recently completed a six-month review of the whip rules, penalty structure and process alongside the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and a group of senior jockeys, with further refinement of the rules now agreed.

If a Flat rider uses their whip once above the permitted level, the minimum penalty of four days may now be reduced to three days if they have had 100 or more British rides since a previous offence, or two days if they have had 200 or more rides.

Over jumps, it is 75 or more rides to gain a one-day reduction and 150 or more rides to qualify for a two-day cut.

Races which incur a double penalty have also been revised and will now apply to all class one races and any class two contest with total prize money of £150,000 or more, or any class two race restricted to apprentices, conditionals or amateur jockeys only.

Possible offences are currently assessed by the Whip Review Committee on Tuesdays and Fridays, but riders who go one above the threshold will have the option of the raceday stewards dealing with any potential breach rather than waiting for the WRC, although they would not be able to appeal any decision.

The WRC will also be limited to a seven-day window to review a possible contravention of the rules, unless a potential disqualification is involved.

Four offences of use above the permitted level in a six-month period will now result in a referral under the ‘totting up’ procedure, while the top end of the penalty range had been reduced from six months to four. It will remain the case that a rider will be referred to the BHA’s judicial panel if they commit five offences of any type in a six-month period.

Sam Angell, chair of the WRC, said: “These changes reflect an ongoing process to improve the new whip rules and penalties, while retaining the original objectives, which are to ensure more judicious use of the whip for encouragement, improve the perceptions of whip use and ensure that the outcomes of races are fair.

“The BHA remains extremely grateful to the PJA and the senior riders who have engaged so constructively with this process. This dialogue will remain ongoing.”

Data released by the BHA shows that in the last six months in a total of 37,428 rides, 425 cases were referred to the WRC with 360 breaches – equating to less than one per cent of rides.

Angell added: “We continue to see a reduction in the rate of offences, which is a testament to the measures being taken by the jockeys as they continue to adapt to the new rules, for which they deserve great credit.”

The PJA’s interim CEO Dale Gibson added: “We will continue to work with the BHA to review all aspects of the rules and sanctions, with the plan to meet again in the autumn to discuss any further potential amendments.

“The process has been time consuming, however, we believe the alterations to be a step in the right direction.”



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