British Horseracing Authority

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...

Racing Together, the industry's community engagement partnership, will host the 2024 community day on Wednesday, May 8 to coincide with the Boodles May Festival at Chester Racecourse, the organisation announced on Monday via press release. British horseracing's national day of employee volunteering, the effort is supported by various charity and commercial partners with a focus on horseracing and bloodstock groups to give back as a team to their communities. Activities range from staff volunteering at local care homes to renovating stables, and picking up litter or collecting for local food...

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...

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...

After appealing the British Horseracing Authority (BHA)'s ruling regarding his licence last week, former trainer Milton Harris has now withdrawn that appeal, the BHA confirmed on Wednesday. Harris had his licence suspended in November and withdrawn in January by the BHA's Licensing Committee. The agency ruled he was not a "fit and proper person" to hold a training licence. Regarding the BHA's concerns, the Licensing Committee said, they surrounded "the nature and extent of MH's admitted breaches of the conditions which already exist on his licence, which were imposed in...

Former trainer Milton Harris, whose licence was suspended in November and withdrawn in January, will appeal the decision of the British Horseracing Authority's Licensing Committee, a BHA spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday evening. The BHA Licensing Committee's verdict stated in January that he was not a "fit and proper person" to hold a training licence. Originally, his licence was suspended by the BHA in November pending January's hearing, with the BHA's stance, "a result of a breach of the conditions on his licence and related matters". A spokesperson for the BHA...

Trainer Paul Nicholls has led the tributes to Keagan Kirkby, the amateur rider who tragically died after a fall at Charing point-to-point on Sunday. In a statement released by the Injured Jockeys Fund, the 14-time Champion National Hunt trainer, with whom Kirkby was based, described Kirkby as "one of our best, hardworking lads." Nicholls said, "Life is so hard sometimes, winners totally insignificant compared to what has happened today. Sadly, Keagan Kirkby, one of our best, hardworking lads lost his life today riding in a point-to-point. All at Team Ditcheat...

Milton Harris has been ruled not to be a "fit and proper person" to hold a trainer's licence in written reasons issued by the British Horseracing Authority's Licensing Committee. The Warminster handler was found to be in multiple breaches of his licence conditions, with the BHA citing his "misconduct in his dealings with others, including fellow licence holder Mr Simon Earle" and "concerns in respect of safeguarding arising out of MH's conduct with young persons employed at his racing yard". Harris, who had an enforced absence from the training ranks...

After the required 100,000-signature mark was reached on a petition to review the proposed implementation of affordability checks, a debate on the subject will be held on Feb. 26, the British government's Petitions Committee announced. The petition was originally launched by Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale. British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chief executive Julie Harrington said in a statement, "We are pleased that the important issue of affordability checks will now be subjected to proper levels of parliamentary scrutiny. "The fact that our survey reached the required 100,000 signatures threshold...