British racing

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...

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...

The British wing of the European Breeders' Fund (EBF) has announced its contribution of more than £2 million towards prize-money in Britain for 2024. The funds are raised through contributions made annually by British stallion owners.  Along with its backing of more than 700 races on the Flat, the British EBF will lend extra support in certain areas this year, including an injection of £325,000 for novice and maiden races for two- and three-year-olds as part of a wider project with the BHA, Levy Board, Darley, Juddmonte and Tattersalls. The...

If you follow Alan Delmonte on Twitter or X, or whatever they call it these days, you will know him for his offbeat sense of humour. But as chief executive of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for the past 11 years, he has one of the most serious jobs in British racing, overseeing the distribution of around £100m a year. Delmonte is, to some extent, the sport's Chancellor of the Exchequer, but there is an awful lot of important work going on behind the scenes at the Levy Board that make...

There is now another reason - or make that 84 reasons - to look forward to the Brocklesby S. in a little over five weeks. The traditional curtain-raiser for the British two-year-old season is the first of 84 races this year to benefit from increased funding through a programme of high-value developmental races in 2024. This initiative, which was launched last year with a series of 63 races, is driven by British stallion studs through the European Breeders' Fund (EBF), Juddmonte, Darley and Tattersalls, and will provide more than £3...

Anfield or Old Trafford it isn't, but that didn't stop Premierisation coming to Plumpton, a National Hunt track at the foot of the South Downs more easily associated with farmers, pensioners and Brighton sharps on country forays than marketing resets. The second track to stage a Premier fixture in a two-year trial of 170 meetings each season, dear old Plumpton didn't need labels to tell you how good it is. In the most valuable race since racing began here in 1888, a 5lb claimer called Joe Anderson found himself hanging...

These are challenging times for British punters. If you win too much, your bookmaker could shut you down. If you lose too much, the state might send Big Brother in. This pincer of control and interference in online betting is weirdly at odds with the UK's economic culture, which favours deregulation and free markets - often to society's cost. The way power works, you will hear a lot more about the Gambling Commission's proposed affordability checks than you will bookmaking conglomerates restricting how much punters can stake - and the...

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...

British Racing's Horse Welfare Board is launching the first ever Thoroughbred census in Great Britain, in collaboration with Hartpury University. All owners of former racehorses are being asked to submit a completed census through Dec. 31. The census will help build an improved Thoroughbred data bank about former racehorses and the lives they go on to lead. Helena Flynn, Programme Director, Horse Welfare Board, said: "Improving the traceability of Thoroughbreds after they retire from racing is a fundamental part of the Horse Welfare Board's five-year welfare strategy. The launch of...

A total of 108 jockeys signed up for the 2023 Racing League draft with last year's leading rider Saffie Osborne, Oisin Murphy, and Sean Levey among the first-choice picks. Each team will have the option of using a wild card pick at any time during the competition, allowing them to add an eighth jockey to their squad of seven. The seven teams and their respective jockeys are as follows: Ireland-- Kevin Blake  Daniel Muscutt Billy Loughnane Ben Curtis Joanna Mason Dylan Browne McMonagle Gavin Ryan Adam Farragher London & The...

Mick Appleby will bid to begin the new year with a bang when stable star Raasel lines out in the Dubai Dash at Meydan. Appleby will run four horses in total at Meydan over the coming weeks and months, all of whom cost just over £60,000 combined, which illustrates the Northern England-based trainer's ability to sniff out a bargain at the sales.    In this week's Starfield Stud-sponsored Conversations Q&A, Appleby discusses his approach to sourcing talent, speaks out on the poor prize-money in Britain and how difficult it is...

The British Horseracing Authority approved new guidelines, penalties and procedures regarding the use of the padded whip Tuesday. In Flat racing, the rules will be fully implemented Mar. 27, with a bedding-in period that begins Feb. 27. In Jump racing, the bedding-in period will commence Jan. 9 before being fully implemented Feb. 6. During the bedding-in period, jockeys will be asked to ride under the new rules, however, will not be subject to the new penalty framework. The core recommendations include: Use of the whip for encouragement to be limited...