Philip Newton

It would be fair to say that Monday night's annual general meeting of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) was not a laugh a minute, but, as TBA chairman Philip Newton outlined, there is not much cause for levity in British racing and breeding these days.  Rising costs, stagnant or falling prize-money in the lower tiers, and continued declines in the British (and global) foal crop were all cited as areas of concern, while Newton, who has been instrumental in the development of Project Pace, which seeks to make a Premier...

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) held its 108th Annual General Meeting on Monday, September 1, with chairman Philip Newton confirming the TBA's support for an independent Board at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). "Charles Allen has a big job in front of him," Newton said of the BHA's new chair. "The industry needs to recognise he doesn't have a silver bullet and cannot do this on his own. "The TBA will provide support, reasoned and considered counsel and give Charles Allen every opportunity to deliver the job he has been...

Great British Bonus (GBB) payouts to breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff across the country have surpassed £20 million, from nearly 1,500 individual bonuses, after the George Scott-trained Pixie Diva earned a £10,000 bonus with her success at Lingfield last week. The GBB scheme was launched in 2020, with majority funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), designed to create value and increase demand for British-bred fillies. In 2022, the number of annual individual British-bred fillies running exceeded pre-Covid levels, while GBB-registered fillies sold for an average of...

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) announced on Thursday that its chief executive, Claire Sheppard, is to step down in the autumn following eight years in the role, with the recruitment process for a new CEO already underway. "While working at the TBA, I am very proud of what the organisation has achieved for British breeders and the industry over the last eight years," read a statement from Sheppard, who has been responsible for developing initiatives such as the Great British Bonus Scheme during her time in the role, as well...

Great British Racing International (GBRI) and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) have today launched the first episode in a new six-part video series entitled 'Be A Part Of It: Breeding In Britain'. Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud is the focus of the first episode in a series designed to showcase Britain's world-leading thoroughbred breeding operations and highlight why many of the world's most prolific owner-breeders have chosen Britain as the headquarters for their bloodstock interests. Tweenhills, Watership Down Stud, Shadwell Stud, the National Stud and Hazelwood Bloodstock also feature in the...

The 107th annual general meeting of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), held on Tuesday, Aug. 13, saw members and trustees gather at Newbury racecourse to discuss the ongoing challenges in British racing's future. Philip Newton, chairman of the association, reiterated that evidence-based strategy as well as incentives and intervention were working, and that the methods were the way forward for a sustainable future. Newton took time to highlight the positive impact of both the Elite Mares' Scheme as well as the Great British Bonus (GBB) Scheme. The latter has paid...

British horseracing's most active sponsor, the British EBF, welcomed the appointment of two new Trustees to its board this month, it was announced on Tuesday. Whatton Manor Stud's Ed Player joins the British EBF Trustees, alongside being a committee member at Nottingham Racecourse. After eight years at Schroders Investment Management in London, Player returned to his passion of racing and joined the family-run Whatton Manor Stud. Over the last 20 years, Player has helped oversee a significant expansion in the acreage of Whatton Manor, leading to a similar increase in...

GBBPLUS, an extension of the Great British Bonus, will reward owners and breeders with two new separate initiatives tackling the current challenges facing Flat and National Hunt racing. The latest incentive initiatives will kick off Jan. 1, 2025. "GBB was an important incentive and intervention step to encourage the breeding, buying, and racing of fillies," the Thoroughbred Breeders Association Chairman Philip Newton said. "Its success now gives us confidence that we can influence behaviour in two other areas of the racing programme: the vital retention of stamina within the thoroughbred...

The challenges and opportunities for the future sustainability of the thoroughbred breeding and bloodstock industry were explored in-depth by speakers, panellists and delegates at the annual TBA Bloodstock Conference, held on Tuesday at Tattersalls. Two hundred breeders, owners, enthusiasts and industry professionals convened at Park Paddocks for the full-day event hosted by leading broadcaster and racing journalist, Lydia Hislop. The conference was opened by TBA chairman Philip Newton, who discussed the current challenges facing the thoroughbred breeding industry and the need for transformational change to alter racing's finances. Newton also...

Long-term Thoroughbred Breeders' Association chairman Julian Richmond Watson will step down following eight years at the helm. He announced the news during the TBA's Annual General Meeting at the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket on Friday. Philip Newton will become chairman of the TBA with immediate effect, while Kate Sigsworth will become deputy chairman. Newton has been on the board since 2012, while Sigsworth joined in 2020. James Crowhurst will continue as a co-opted trustee for a second term to support the TBA's work on equine health and welfare. In...