BHA

BHA Announces 170 'Premier' Race Days With £3.8m Extra Funding The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has released the 2024 fixture list for British racing which, it claims "includes significant customer-focused innovations designed to deliver a more competitive, engaging and exciting racing product". The major change in next year's programme includes the introduction of a two-year trial of 170 'Premier' race days, 89 of which will be staged on a Saturday afternoon. The move has received a mixed response from within the industry and involves a window during Premier afternoons being restricted...

Following a six-month review of the whip rules, penalty structure and process, additional adjustments have been implemented by the British Horseracing Authority. The review formed part of the ongoing dialogue and meetings between the BHA, Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and a group of senior jockeys which has been in place since prior to the introduction of the new rules and which has resulted in a number of previous alterations. Regulations concerning whip use underwent significant changes earlier this year, with the numbers of strikes allowed in Flat and jumps races...

The British Horseracing Authority has accepted Sean Levey took no prohibited substance following a "non-negative" saliva test at Sandown last year, which was later deemed negative by a laboratory. Levey was stood down by the raceday stewards on September 14 when an instant saliva test produced a positive result for amphetamine. The Group 1-winning rider requested a urine test within 24 hours and when that returned negative, he was allowed to resume riding. However, Levey was forced to miss the closing night of the Racing League, for which he was...

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...

On December 3, 1995, the G1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle was won by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Thats My Man (Ire). It is unconfirmed, but those may well have been the words uttered by John Magnier when he decided to appoint O'Brien to uphold the good reputation of his surname at Ballydoyle. This he has done with aplomb. From that December day at Fairyhouse until Sunday at the Curragh, A P O'Brien has been the name printed alongside 400 Group or Grade 1 winners. From his roots in National Hunt, he...

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...

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...

British Horseracing Authority [BHA] chief executive Julie Harrington has condemned the actions of protestors who delayed the Grand National and also announced a "painstaking" analysis will take place in a bid to  try and understand what caused three fatalities over the three days of the meeting. The Sandy Thomson-trained Hill Sixteen suffered a fatal fall at the first fence in the race that was delayed by around 15 minutes after animal activists stormed the track. Two more horses were killed at the meeting. In a statement released on Sunday, Harrington...

Following a difficult week for racing which saw four pass away--including Jess Whalley, who collapsed and died on scene at Michael Owen's Manor House Stable Tuesday morning, BHA's Chief Executive Julie Harrington issued the following statement on Saturday: "This has been a tragic week for all of us in the racing community. "Jess Whalley was a shining example of what makes British racing so special. She dedicated herself to providing outstanding care to horses and it was while doing this that her life was suddenly and tragically cut short. On...

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...

Sarah Guest, the yard manager for trainer John O'Shea, was named the Employee of the Year during the 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards sponsored by Godolphin in ceremonies held Monday evening at York Racecourse. It was the first in-person event since 2020 and was held for the first time in Yorkshire. Guest took home a cash prize of £10,000 and an additional £10,000 to be divided among her colleagues at the John O'Shea yard. Earlier in the evening, Guest was also presented with the Leadership Award, carrying a £5,000 prize...