Ascot has gone over the top alone - where the royal racecourse has led, others must eventually follow

Ascot is an unlikely assassin. Whether or not its decision to quit the Racecourse Association (RCA) will lead to the organisation's demise is uncertain. 

What is clear is that Britain's premier track has added powerful, valuable and potentially irresistible momentum to the vital quest to deliver meaningful reform to the sport's failed governance structures.

As a royal racecourse, it was traditionally felt right and proper for Ascot to stay largely silent on anything that might be deemed controversial. Just as the monarch stays out of politics, the monarch's racecourse stayed out of racing politics. Under Felicity Barnard's leadership that has changed, so much so that Ascot has shown itself to be willing to go over the top alone.

• Ascot carries out threat to leave Racecourse Association sparking major rupture in British racing 
• Ascot chief: 'This is not the start of a war among racecourses - but it shows our strength of feeling' 
• Jockey Club issues fresh ultimatum and threatens to join Ascot in quitting Racecourse Association 

Ascot is not the first track to pull out of the RCA. Towcester had resigned before it closed and Plumpton continues to flourish outside the trade body. 

Ascot's exit matters so much more because of its standing, not just domestically but globally. A Racecourse Association without Ascot will look like a chip shop without chips. Separated from the industry's supreme heavyweight venue, the RCA's credibility will be greatly diminished.

For the RCA to survive, its chair Wilf Walsh and chief executive Alex Eade have three months to overhaul an entity that has been painted as a barrier to progress. 

British racing has been held back by short-termism, self-interest and a failure to see the bigger picture. If that is to change at BHA board level, there must first be change within the RCA, something Ascot, the Jockey Club and a handful of the sport's other major racecourses recognise.

That being so, it is surprising Ascot has ended up resigning on its own – and Ascot would be entitled to be among those feeling surprised.

The Jockey Club, Goodwood, Newbury and York were all signatories to a letter that gave the RCA until the end of April to deliver a formal proposal for reform. The deadline passed, yet only Ascot has acted. 

The Jockey Club and York say they have been encouraged by discussions. Ascot was not sufficiently encouraged to believe future talks would prove worthwhile.

The Jockey Club's position is interesting given the recent strong words expressed by chief executive Jim Mullen and senior steward Dido Harding. Securing agreement within a member organisation might be harder to achieve than at Ascot but, given past private enthusiasm within the Jockey Club's hierarchy to dismantle the RCA, this apparent failure of nerve will be seen by many as disappointing.

No such accusation could be levelled against Barnard, who recently displayed strong leadership when losing patience with digital media company World Horse Racing and withdrawing Ascot's support. What she has done in relation to the RCA is of much greater significance. It may also have huge ramifications.

What happens now depends on what the RCA does next. Eade was previously chief executive of the Large Independent Racecourse Group, which may further explain why all its members except Ascot were prepared to give him more time. It also means he must have a good idea of what will and will not be deemed acceptable to them. 

He will also be fully aware of where the red lines have been drawn by those working to completely different business models, namely Arena Racing Company boss Martin Cruddace and the sport's smaller independent racecourses. 

The Racing Post has for a long time argued that the sport's persistent inability to deliver reform has been directly linked to deficiencies in its governance structures. That being the case, the move Ascot has made must be applauded. 

Unless the RCA's leadership can pull a rabbit out of a hat, where Ascot has led, others must eventually follow.

Read these next:

Ascot carries out threat to leave Racecourse Association sparking major rupture in British racing 

Ascot chief: 'This is not the start of a war among racecourses - but it shows our strength of feeling' 

Jockey Club issues fresh ultimatum and threatens to join Ascot in quitting Racecourse Association 

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