British Horseracing Authority

Ahead of next week's Royal Ascot meeting, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will not take part in a nationally televised debate with Animal Rising, the organisation announced on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, animal activist group Animal Rising reportedly stated at a Wednesday press conference they would "pause" their protest activity this summer if UK racing's leaders took part in such a debate. BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said, "At a press conference today, Animal Rising said they will cease their protest activity this summer if British racing agrees to...

Wide-spread innovative changes to the 2024 UK fixture list based on several core principles have been approved by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Board. Part of British racing's cross industry strategy, the principles will be tested over a two-year period and represent an important first step in delivering a more substantive racing product. The core principles unanimously agreed upon by the BHA Board are as follows: A "Premier" racing tier with higher prize-money and more competitive top-quality racing featuring the best horses A two-hour "shop window" on most Saturday afternoons...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Friday confirmed the appointment of two new Independent Non-Executive Directors to the BHA Board. Kyrsten Halley will serve a three-year term, which began on May 1. She fills the vacancy created by Joe Saumarez Smith, whose term as BHA Chair was extended through May 31, 2025. Tara Warren will begin her initial three-year term on Dec. 1 and replaces current Independent Non-Executive Director Laura Whyte, following the completion of her maximum nine-year term. Halley currently serves as Marketing Director for the British-based food manufacturer,...

Chester regular Marwan Koukash has been removed as a registered owner by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) due to being declared bankrupt, according to published reports. The 69-year-old Palestinian won the Chester Cup four times with his runners between 2008 and 2018. His record at the track stands at 97 winners. Holding a PhD in electrical engineering, the businessman owned the Salford City Reds rugby team at one time, as well as a string of hotels among his various interests. The bankruptcy petition was filed in June of 2022 and...

Eight Industry People Board (IPB) members and an IPB Programme Director were confirmed by the IPB Board Chair Neil Hayward on Wednesday. Initiated and funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and the Racing Foundation, the Board's aim is to deliver an industry-wide people strategy. The Board consists of the following individuals: Rob Hezel, Chief Executive, The Racing Foundation Daniel Kübler, Racehorse Trainer, Kübler Racing George McGrath, Chief Executive, National Association of Racing Staff Neil Robertson, Chief Executive, National Skills Academy for Rail Tom Scudamore, former professional Jump jockey...

The affordability checks on lower-level gambling spend proposed in the Gambling Act Review White Paper will be streamlined as much as possible to minimise the inconvenience to the betting public, according to the British Horseracing Authority, who welcomed the news of the Paper's publication earlier on Thursday. The paper proposes a £125-threshold net loss within a month or £500 within a year and also states that the checks will be 'frictionless for customers and conducted online by credit reference agencies'. BHA Chief Executive Julie Harrington said, "The numbers around the...

The Gambling Act Review White Paper, an important step to ensuring proper gambling regulations fit for the digital age, was published by the UK Government on Thursday. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) welcomed the news. There will now be a period of consultation between the Government and partners during which the BHA will continue to work to deliver a secure future for the sport. Joe Saumarez Smith, Chair of the British Horseracing Authority and member of the Gambling Strategy Group (which has led on representations around the Gambling Act Review...

A selection of small adjustments have been introduced to the new whip rules, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced on Thursday. There has been ongoing communication between the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), senior jockeys under both codes and the BHA, and the rule adjustments are the result. "We are very grateful to the PJA and to our jockeys, both for the manner in which they continue to adapt to riding under the new rules, and their constructive engagement with the process which has helped bring about these further improvements," said...

Provisional declarations can now be tracked live before 10 a.m. every morning on the BHA fixtures page, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Friday. This development improves transparency for all customers at the 48-hour declaration stage. Declarations are not official until they have been formerly checking and published after 10 a.m. on the day of declarations. Tom Byrne, Head of Racing & Betting at the BHA, said, "The addition of live declaration tracking will hopefully help improve the overall customer experience of British racing. We expect that this data...

Following ratification by the European Pattern Committee (EPC), there are several additional changes to the UK 2023 Flat Pattern and listed race programme, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Flat Pattern Committee (FPC) announced on Wednesday. The following races have been repositioned or relocated within the existing programme to help achieve a better spread of black-type opportunities in the relevant age and distance categories in 2023: Listed Abingdon S. (10f, 3yo, f, early June), previously run at Newbury, will now take place at Goodwood on Sunday, June 11 and be run...

The previously announced new whip regulations will go into force on Monday, but the way penalties are calculated has been "marginally adjusted" according to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Following feedback from jockeys, there were further amendments to the rules, and the bedding in period for jumps racing was extended by a week. Under the new regulations, use of the whip in the forehand position will be allowed, with the BHA having reversed a previous decision to ban it after riders' objections. However, use of the whip has been reduced...

The programming of over 60 high-value 2023 developmental races was announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Wednesday. Consisting of maidens and novices with purses between £30,000-£50,000, the races will be funded by the BHA, Darley, Juddmonte, and the hosting racecourses. The objective of the prize-money boost is two-fold, with the aims of supporting horses at the beginning of their careers combined with supporting the domestic breeding industry and ensuring more quality young horses are retained to race in the UK. This initiative is intended to be the first...