BHA

Since the launch of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) drug testing program over a year ago, metformin has sucked up an awful lot of oxygen. Under HISA, there have been seven resolved cases and four pending cases involving metformin—perhaps not an especially large number on its own, until framed against the number of metformin cases adjudicated before the program went into effect. An Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) review of their database "going back decades" found five metformin cases for Thoroughbreds. All were from 2017 onwards. The...

Royal Ascot is a week for stepping up, but there's a lot of stepping down going on in British racing. A power vacuum is heading the industry's way as leaders depart - voluntarily, or with a shove from within. Some are making delayed withdrawals (look out for a hell of a joint-leaving do this winter). The situations vacant columns however already feature the following appointments. British Horseracing Authority - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jockey Club - CEO Great British Racing - CEO Racehorse Owners' Association - CEO Joe...

A new licence for racehorse syndicators and racing club managers, which aims to further strengthen the regulation of shared ownership, was introduced on Thursday by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). The licence will apply to anyone wishing to manage a syndicate or racing club that advertises publicly or that they are paid to administer. This includes licensed trainers who run their own syndicate or racing club. Its introduction follows a period of engagement with stakeholders, including an industry-wide consultation, to ensure that the regulation keeps pace with the increasing appeal...

Julie Harrington is to leave her role as chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) at the end of this year. In a statement issued by the BHA on Tuesday, Harrington, who has been in the role for three and a half years, said, "With so much now in place to develop and grow the Industry Strategy, which will secure a brighter future for British horseracing, it felt like the right time to move on and let someone else steer the sport through its next exciting phase. "It has...

Sunday evening racing in Britain will not continue in the short term after a six-week pilot during the winter months failed to yield any significant benefit to the sport via an increase in betting turnover. The controversial trial was introduced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) as part of a wider range of changes to the fixture list for 2024, which included the launch of 'Premier' and 'Core' meetings.  During a meeting of the BHA Board last week it was agreed that the Sunday evening meetings, which took place between...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced a new policy on Tuesday which will permit an on-the-day switch between Flat turf and all-weather tracks where the original racing surface is deemed unraceable and the fixture would otherwise need to be abandoned. The policy will apply where a change of surface may be possible on the day of the fixture due to a deterioration in the ground conditions, when horses, participants and paying customers will have already arrived at or be travelling to the racecourse. It will only be relevant for racecourses...

A new communications campaign, HorsePWR, has been launched by British racing, designed to share and promote the facts around welfare in horseracing. HorsePWR will have 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. The website also explores the areas that racing has committed to improve, from reducing risk on and off the racecourse to better supporting horses when they leave the sport. The campaign has been led by the British Horseracing Authority...

Ashley Barnes, a Norwich City striker, was banned for failing to cooperate in an ongoing investigation by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) this month, Sky Sports reported on Friday. Barnes, 34, was put on the exclusion list maintained by the racing body, alongside his father-in-law John Higgins. The duo are not allowed on an property licensed by the BHA. Previously a registered owner in Britain, Barnes celebrated a winner with Manor Park (GB) (Medicean {GB}) at Newton Abbot in 2021. "The BHA can confirm that the Ashley Barnes listed as...

Marco Ghiani, the champion apprentice in the UK in 2021, has been handed a 34-day ban by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA)'s Whip Review Committee. Ghiani broke the whip rules for the fifth time in the last six months. A total of nine days of his ban have been deferred for a period of six months, and he will also need to complete a two-day training course. The rider already has a win at Royal Ascot to his credit with Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), and is also a...

A new equine anti-doping and medication control initiative was announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) on Thursday. The initiative underpins their commitment to the regulation of medicine use and zero tolerance of doping in horse racing on both sides of the Irish Sea. The IHRB and BHA are now formally conducting joint out-of-competition-testing operations across both jurisdictions. These inspections started this week with almost 250 samples taken from more than 120 horses that are entered for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in an...

The British Horseracing Authority has welcomed the "valuable contributions" made by several ministers in Monday's parliamentary debate into affordability checks. It was the first chance for MPs to properly interrogate proposals of the implementation of the supposedly "frictionless" checks after 100,000 people signed an e-petition to trigger the debate. Matt Hancock, who has Newmarket within his constituency, Connor McGinn, whose St Helens North constituency includes Haydock, and Philip Davies were among MPs to lay out arguments against the checks during the debate at Westminster Hall. The BHA's chief executive Julie...

Newsells Park Stud's David Porter-Mackrell was named the Employee of the Year at the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, at Ascot Racecourse on Monday. The gala marked the 20th anniversary of the awards, which was attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin. The event, celebrating the contribution of racing's workforce to British racing, saw a total of £128,500 in prize money handed out across six categories. With Newsells the last 15 years, head stallion man Porter-Mackrell was nominated by...