Earlier in the week, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), announced it would launch the fourth trainer and stable staff survey as a means of identifying yard-based problems and assisting the Industry People Board. 

Now, the authority whose goal is to build “a brighter future for our sport, our horses, and our people” has announced a series of changes to the start rules in British racing. The changes were given the green light after a comprehensive review of all stalls and starting procedures over the course of an entire year. 

Late Load Requests, Now Restricted 

One of the first changes to go into effect starting January 1, 2024, regards Late Load Requests. These represent privilege requests on race day issued by trainers for their horses to be loaded out of sequence.

According to the new tweaks, Late Load Requests have been restricted to horses that have shown signs of behavioral issues inside the starting stalls in previous races in Great Britain. 

At the same time, horses having their debut will no longer be eligible for a Late Load Request unless they have undertaken an assessment prior to the race which has indicated the existence of a behavioral concern inside the starting stalls.

Additionally, the rules regarding warnings for Late Load Requests and Stalls Tests have also suffered adjustments. 

For example, once a trainer has been given three warnings for the same horse in relation to behavioral issues inside the stalls within a one-year period, the horse will be asked to complete one Stalls Test instead of the standard requirement of two. 

Any additional Late Load Request for the respective horse will not lead to any more warnings over the course of the following 12 months, as opposed to the current rules that refer to the current lifetime late load.

The goal is to lower the number of Late Load Requests while improving the safety and fairness of the Start and making sure horses that do not have any behavioral issues are not in any way disadvantaged.

Loading Process Changes

Also effective starting January 2024, the process of twitching or grabbing the ear or tail of a horse during the loading process will only be allowed for safety purposes. 

This could be anything like gently holding the ear of the horse to help relax, placating a nervous or fractious horse during the loading, or ensuring the welfare of stalls, jockeys, or horses by helping settle unruly horses in the stalls.

Provided Stewards rule these actions as going well beyond what is deemed “necessary for the purposes of safety and horse welfare,” they will have the right to issue cautions for first offenses, followed by Band A fines for subsequent offenses.

Additional changes refer to BHA starters who will no longer be allowed to carry the hunting crop during jump-starts and also the requirement that all persons assisting at the start complete the BHA Trainer Representative – Starts Training Module. 

In May, BHA announced it would strengthen its board membership with two new independent non-executive directors, Kyrsten Halley and Tara Warren.

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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) unveiled the launch of the fourth trainer and stable staff survey. The objective is to identify the yard-based issues and help the Industry People Board form a strategy for tackling them.

The survey, commissioned by the Industry People Board, is delivered in partnership with the BHA, the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS). It will see trainers and stable staff contacted by Public Perspectives, an independent research organization. Public Perspectives will provide the survey to trainers and staff across Britain in the following days.

This is notably the fourth time such a survey has been launched, following surveys carried out in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

The Racing Foundation Continues to Invest in the Sector

The BHA added that the study will not only underscore the important issues but will also help the body measure the progress of major initiatives funded by the Racing Foundation. For reference, these initiatives sought to support the recruitment of stable staff, develop the skills of the workforce within the racing sector and encourage greater staff retention.

The BHA also said that the survey is in line with the Racing Foundation’s continued investment in initiatives that seek to drive improvements in the industry’s staff-related matters. Since the first survey in 2016, the foundation has invested over £12 million (approximately $15 million) to address staffing issues.

This latest study will run from November to early January.

The Study Will Help the Industry People Board Form a Strategy

Tansy Challis, the Racing Foundation’s chief executive officer, commented on the matter, saying that her team is happy to once again support the survey. She said that the 2016 survey helped the industry set a baseline from which to measure progress and identify issues.

Unfortunately, the 2021 surveys highlighted ongoing problems within the sector.

We are, therefore, encouraged by the formation of the Industry People Board and its aim to develop a People Strategy.

Tansy Challis, CEO, Racing Foundation

Challis concluded that the data from this year’s study will help the Industry People Board improve its strategy. She hopes that all trainers and stable staff will complete the survey.

Meanwhile, the Industry People Board’s chairman, Neil Hayward, said that the newly-formed body is ambitious on securing a reliable workforce and a working environment the industry can be proud of. While there is much to do, the survey will help his team to make informed decisions and evaluate the impact of current and future initiatives.

We appreciate the time and effort taken by those who respond to the survey. The better the response rate the more detailed a picture we have about what is happening to, and what matters to, the industry’s workforce.

Neil Hayward, chair, Industry People Board

In September, British horseracing authorities launched a probe into the public’s feelings about the controversial affordability checks.

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Members of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) have poured £455 million ($581 million) into British horseracing in 2021, in the form of sponsorship agreements, levies, and media rights, according to fresh data from the council. 

BGC Members Now Paying More “Than Ever Before” 

According to the BGC’s chief executive officer, Michael Dugher, members of the council are currently showing more financial support than ever before towards British horseracing. This is in spite of the 10.3% drop in betting turnover on racing recorded over the past five years.

Dugher acknowledged horseracing as a leading British sport with millions of fans worldwide as well as a “vital pillar of the economy” with importance to a large number of communities and the tens of thousands of jobs that it currently supports.

Going further, the CEO spoke about the ongoing “symbiotic relationship between betting and racing,” explaining that the duo’s success and future prosperity can only come by working together towards a shared growth goal aimed at the sport “as a product.”

Dugher also explained that the funding from BGC members only originates from licensed bookmakers interested in making sure that racing not only survives but also thrives, mentioning that the unsafe black gambling market continues to grow as a threat while not making any contributions to horseracing.

Bookmakers also spent £125 million ($159 million) on marketing aimed at promoting racing and betting via partnership deals and advertisements, further supporting the terrestrial coverage of the popular sport via two different racing channels and newspaper appearances.

Media rights payments surpassed prior estimates, going up by close to £45 million ($57 million) compared to 2022 when the total reached £340 million ($434 million).

Levy payments are expected to reach £99 million ($126 million) for 2022/2023, signaling a raise from £50 million ($63 million) recorded in the year 2016/2017, according to data from the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

The record 2022 investment allowed horseracing to use some of the revenues to reach a new record in relation to the delivered prize money, a figure that totaled £179.3 million ($228.9 million).

Second to soccer, horseracing is the second most popular sport in the UK. Each year, it gathers over five million people attending approximately 1,400 fixtures spread across 59 different racecourses.

In mid-July, the BGC expressed its support for the White Paper reforms revealed in April while advocating for responsible gambling. In March, the Council reported an increase in the use of safer gambling tools.

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