Joe Saumarez Smith, British racing's senior leader as BHA chair until last month, has died aged 53

Tributes have poured in for Joe Saumarez Smith from the worlds of racing, betting, politics and journalism after the former BHA chair died on Tuesday aged 53.

Saumarez Smith had been living with lung cancer since the summer of 2023 yet remained committed to working for the sport throughout his treatment, only stepping down on January 30 due to his deteriorating health.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the BHA said Saumarez Smith had died at home surrounded by his family and “will be hugely missed by us all”. 

Saumarez Smith was remembered as a champion of racing, a powerful advocate for the sport, a tireless worker and, above all, a gentleman who conducted himself with humility and acumen across a range of disciplines.

David Jones, who stepped in to be interim BHA chair last month, described Saumarez Smith as “not just a personal friend to many of us but a great friend of racing”. He added: “Joe’s enthusiasm for the sport shone through in everything he did. He had such a deep knowledge of all aspects of the industry and I and other board colleagues will really miss his insight.”

These attributes were showcased by the serial entrepreneur's efforts to persuade successive governments that changes to gambling regulation were both flawed and responsible for causing huge financial harm to racing.

A successful punter, Saumarez Smith shared his own challenges with punitive restrictions and overzealous bookmaker interventions last month, while he had been a speaker on racing’s behalf at a parliamentary reception on January 17 where he raised the issue of affordability checks.

Brant Dunshea, acting BHA chief executive, said: “It has been a great privilege to have known and worked with Joe, always providing wise counsel and tremendous support to the BHA team and to me personally, and for that we will be forever grateful. 

“His commitment to advocating Britain’s interests on the global stage was unwavering, and for that British racing owes him a huge debt of gratitude. We will miss him terribly.”

Saumarez Smith was a skilled racing punter, notably landing six-figure payouts when Kicking King and then War Of Attrition won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and continued to excel gambling on other sports and poker after his appointment as a BHA director in 2014.

His knowledge and talent for betting enabled him to parlay his earnings from the sale of online education platform Schoolsnet in the early 2000s, which he had helped co-found following an initial career in journalism at the likes of the Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Express, into the creation of management consultancy Sports Gaming. He also went on to invest in more than 40 start-ups in sectors such as gaming, film and clothing.

Joe Saumarez Smith: stood down as BHA chair on January 30 Credit: Dan Abraham (focusonracing.com)

Saumarez Smith’s understanding of betting and bookmaking also allowed him to speak with authority with the likes of government during his time at the BHA. 

Michael Dugher, chair of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “Joe was a beautiful guy. A terrific talent and a gentleman. Racing has lost the best of our sport. We were privileged to know him – and we’ll miss him forever.”

Saumarez Smith replaced Annamarie Phelps as BHA chair in 2022 and oversaw a number of significant initiatives during his tenure. These included the scrapping of the tripartite decision-making system and the elevation of the BHA board to be the final decision maker, and the launch of the Premier racing trial.

David Armstrong, chief executive of the Racecourse Association, said: “It was a real privilege to work alongside Joe for so many years, and most recently to serve on the BHA board under his stewardship. 

“Joe was an immense source of knowledge with regards to global horseracing and the betting and gaming sector and worked tirelessly to enhance both industries. His recent work to spearhead the sport’s Levy reform and campaign against affordability checks was testament to how much he cared about the future of British racing. 

“My thoughts are with Joe’s wife, Wanda, their children and all of his friends and colleagues. He will be missed by us all.”

Saumarez Smith had also been an active owner in racing, visiting his horses in training with Martin Keighley last month shortly before stepping down from his role at the BHA, and his support for British racing was celebrated by Julian Richmond-Watson, chair of the Thoroughbred Group.

“Joe will be sorely missed by all those who knew and worked with him, and his fierce advocacy and passion for British racing will not be forgotten,” Richmond-Watson said. “My thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”

Saumarez Smith also played key roles in driving forward British racing's approach to welfare, including the creation of the HorsePWR campaign, and establishing the Horseracing People Board which aims to improve all aspects of the lives of racing's workforce.

The BHA also revealed on Tuesday that Saumarez Smith had been nominated in this year's Birthday and New Year's Honours lists. The BHA said: "It is a great sadness that he did not know that his colleagues at the BHA and his peers had nominated him for an honour this year."

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Obituary: BHA chair Joe Saumarez Smith loved racing with a fierce passion and worked tirelessly to improve the sport