Horserace Betting Levy Board

A contribution of £28.1 million towards the funding of the UK racing's fixture list from Sept. 1-Dec. 31 was agreed to by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) on Monday. Of that amount, £21.8 million will go toward prize money, bringing the HBLB's annual prize money grants to just over £78 million, 32% higher than the £59.3 million originally approved for 2020 prior to the disruption caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These 2021 figures do not include the sums for further prize money and regulatory grants announced as part...

The Horserace Betting Levy Board has agreed a £21.5-million loan fund through the government's Sport Winter Survival Package to aid in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. British racing has suffered over £400-million in lost racecourse revenues since the start of the pandemic, with prizemoney down by £65-million (41%) and racecourses still significantly affected by the limited number of spectators allowed to attend. A cut of £7.5-million will be utilized to enhance prizemoney for 12 months from July 2021, with 60% going to flat racing and 40% to jumps. On...

Mike Etherington-Smith, Helena Flynn and Stephen Wensley were all appointed to the Horse Welfare Board, the HWB announced on Wednesday. The trio, whose roles will be funded by the Racing Foundation, will work across racing to coordinate the implementation of the Horse Welfare Strategy and will be accountable to Barry Johnson, the HWB's independent chair. Racing Foundation CEO Rob Hezel was directly involved in the recruitment process. Etherington-Smith, who has designed multiple Olympic event courses, will be the Equine Safety Advisor. Helena Flynn has been named Programme Director and Stephen...

Approximately £80 million will be the Levy income for the year that ended on Mar. 31, 2021, the Horserace Betting Levy Board announced on Monday. The figure is a result of provisional submissions to date from most Levy-paying bookmakers. Originally, as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed in the UK, the HBLB had estimated a Levy return between £76-£85 million. Racing in the UK was halted from mid-March until June 1, 2020. HBLB Chairman Paul Darling commented, "There was no British racing for the first two months of the Levy year and...

A financial contribution has been agreed upon by the Levy to ensure the continuation of the career-ending insurance scheme for jockeys for another six months, the Horserace Betting Levy Board announced on Wednesday. The grant, which will total up to £80,000 max, will be combined with funding provided by the Professional Jockeys' Association (PJA), as the PJA continues to search for a sponsor in the long term. "This scheme has been in place for almost 10 years, paid for by commercial sponsorship and contributions from jockeys," said HBLB Chairman Paul...

There will be 14 additional fixtures added to the UK racing calendar following approval by the Board of the British Horseracing Authority. The proposal was submitted by the Racecourse Association (RCA) which has the full support of the Horsemen's Group (HB). The fixtures have been added to shore up racecourse finances, as well as generate a positive return for the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB). The 14 fixtures are as follows: Flat Fixtures: 15/11/20 Southwell - Afternoon 22/11/20 Wolverhampton - Afternoon 23/11/20 Chelmsford City - Floodlit 24/11/20 Lingfield Park -...

After a fixture-related funding package was confirmed by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the 2021 UK fixture list from January through April was announced by the British Horseracing Authority on Wednesday. The confirmed dates for all fixtures involving Pattern races was also published alongside provisional dates for the rest of 2021. (Click for the Excel or PDF versions of the fixture list, Pattern races, and provisional fixtures.) The fixture list was developed with a view to maximising revenue for the sport and participants, while safeguarding participant welfare and taking into...

The minimum prize money amounts allowed under the Rules of Racing for the first 10 weeks of British racing have been published, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Thursday. After a £15.7 million contribution from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), racing's leaders have agreed to minimum values which will exceed, on average, 80% of the previously permitted minimum levels, with an emphasis of supporting prize money levels at the middle and grassroots level of the sport to retain as many owners and horses-in-training as possible. Group 1 Flat races...

Another £6.5 million has been made available to certain racecourses by the Horserace Betting Levy Board in a financial boost for the racing industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. HBLB operates a capital credits scheme whereby racecourses can elect to waive the receipt of their racing fixture-related grants from HBLB which then holds the funds. Racecourses are normally able to make use of these capital credits in the future for use on capital improvement projects approved by HBLB, but now the 18 qualifying tracks who have capital credits balances may now...

A COVID-19 response plan for the UK racing industry was published on Monday by the industry group coordinating the response and liaising with the UK government. The purpose of the operational plan is to protect the health of British racing's people, horses, and businesses during the pandemic and have a blueprint in place for the earliest possible resumption of racing and a strong recovery once racing has begun again. It also outlines the range of activities, led by the industry's COVID-19 Group, to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic....