'It's great news for the sport - but no easy ride' - what leading industry figures make of Lord Allen

Lord Allen takes over as BHA chair on Monday, following a three-month delay. You can read Bill Barber's profile of Lord Allen here and the five main issues in his in-tray here. Below are key quotes from industry figures . . .

Betting and Gaming Council chief executive Grainne Hurst

The appointment of Lord Charles Allen as chair of the BHA is great news for the sport. Charles will bring the kind of authority and leadership that racing has been crying out for. The task ahead of him is no easy ride, though. Crowds are shrinking, betting turnover is sliding, and too often racing has been bogged down by division and vested interests instead of pulling together.

What’s refreshing is that Charles isn’t shying away from the scale of the challenge. He has already made clear that he wants to drive real change, with a strategy built on growth, not grievance. Racing needs to stop looking backwards and start uniting behind a plan that can secure its future.