The horseracing industry group, which has been responsible for coordinating work in response to the coronavirus, has outlined the conditions that would need to be met to ensure the resumption of racing ‘at the earliest opportunity’. The ten-page plan, released on the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) website, says that racing will “almost certainly” resume behind closed doors, which the group …
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BHA postpones UK racing until the end of April
Issuing a statement, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed that all British horseracing will be suspended until the end of April. The BHA stated that after taking into account the government’s recent advice regarding the growing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the only option was to suspend all racing in order to ensure that safety measures are secured. Nick Rust, Chief …
Read More »COVID-19 concerns see Grand National called off
UK racing and sports betting have been dealt another blow this week with the ‘Randox Health Grand National’ cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Aintree, confirmed that the three-day event will not take place next month after new government measures announced yesterday emphasised that the UK should ‘avoid non-essential contact and unnecessary travel’. Sandy Dudgeon, …
Read More »Paul Fisher confirms departure as Jockey Club Racecourses CEO
The governance of the Jockey Club has confirmed that Chief Executive Paul Fisher will end his tenure as Chief Executive of Jockey Club Racecourses next month, closing a 19-year executive relationship with the UK’s largest racetrack operator. The announcement sees further executive changes within the top ranks of UK racing, as the Jockey Club disclosed its executive management departure just hours …
Read More »BHA seeks new CEO as Rust confirms 2020 leadership departure
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has begun its search for a new leader, after Nick Rust confirmed that he will end his Chief Executive tenure at the end of the year. A former Ladbrokes executive, Rust was appointed BHA CEO in November 2014, becoming British horseracing’s first leadership appointment from the betting sector. Upon taking charge of the BHA, Rust was …
Read More »Richard Flint – Racing is a ‘critical friend’ of betting in tackling its regulatory predicaments
Ending his 17-year tenure at Sky Betting & Gaming (Sky Bet), industry figurehead Richard Flint has called for betting and racing leaders to work in partnership, tackling an ‘existential threat’ facing all betting stakeholders. Speaking to the Racing Post, Richard Flint the former Executive Chairman of Sky Bet, warned UK racing leaders not to be complacent in believing that their …
Read More »BHA commits £1m to gene doping research programme
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has committed itself to a funding round of £1m in a bid to prevent gene doping in the sport, after experts have warned that it could present the “dawn of a new era.” The funding, which is expected to cover a five-year programme, will help develop detection methods to prevent gene doping. The detection methods …
Read More »BHA appoints ‘UK sports figurehead’ Annamarie Phelps as inbound chair
Moving to refresh its governance, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed the appointment of Annamarie Phelps as inbound Chair (appointment expected to commence – 1 June 2019). Phelps a former Olympian rower, is the current Vice-Chair of the British Olympic Association and is set to replace current incumbent Atholl Duncan. Updating stakeholders, the BHA’s nomination committee stated that it …
Read More »BHA releases its updated whistle-blowing policy to the public
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has gone public with its updated whistle-blowing policy, making the new plans available to both the wider public and the racing industry. The new policy comes as a bid by the BHA to cement its ongoing commitment to maintaining integrity, credibility and accountability in how it operates across the industry. Catherine Beloff, Director of Legal …
Read More »WATCH: BHA’s Nick Rust defends decision to bring back racing
In a video released by the British Racehorse Association (BHA), Chief Executive Nick Rust defends the decision to permit racing to go ahead despite the worries from trainers and horse-owners regarding the prevalence of equine influenza in the UK. As announced last night, the BHA has decided to put an end to the industry hiatus from the sport following the outbreak of …
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