Provisional declarations now available to public before 48-hour final declaration stage

Members of the public will now be able to access the provisional declarations for all British horse races on the fixtures page of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) website.

The ability to track provisional declarations had been restricted to those only with a login for the BHA admin website, but after months of testing, the BHA has opened the facility to the wider public in an attempt to improve transparency for all customers at the 48-hour declaration stage.

Although declarations are not finalised until they have been checked two days before raceday at 10am, punters will now be able to track provisional runners and riders prior to that official publication.

The BHA’s Head of Racing and Betting Tom Byrne said: “The addition of live declaration tracking will hopefully help improve the overall customer experience of British racing.

"We expect that this data will become a valuable and informative resource for those working in the sport and racing’s fans, particularly ahead of the Cheltenham Festival next week.”

David Thorpe to step down as chairman of Arena Racing Company

David Thorpe is to step down as chairman of Arena Racing Company (Arc) at the end of April after nine years in the role, the racecourse group has revealed. Thorpe, who had previously chaired one of Arc's forerunners Arena Leisure, became Arc chairman in April 2014 when he replaced Lord Michael Howard of Lympne, the former Conservative Party leader.

He has been a heavyweight figure in British racing politics for a number of years, having also been chairman of the Racecourse Association between 2004 and 2009 and a board member of both the BHA and the Levy Board. Thorpe said: "It has been a significant source of pride to see the company flourish and grow over the past few years and we have assembled an incredibly smart, passionate and hard-working team. I am equally delighted to have been part of creating a new industry structure, a major improvement which should serve the sport well into the future.

"I am sure the company will only continue to get stronger and more successful over the coming years, and I am proud to have played a part in that foundation for growth. I will continue to be a passionate supporter and advocate for the business and the sport."

David Thorpe: stepping down as Arc chairman after nine years in the roleCredit: David Carr

Arc chief executive Martin Cruddace added: "David has played a pivotal role in the growth and transformation of the company over that time, and his detailed knowledge of the industry has been an enormous help. Both myself and our shareholders would like to thank him for his expertise, hard work and support, and completely understand his decision to step down. For me personally, he has been a source of constant support, counsel and guidance.

"David will remain a very good friend of both me and the company, and there will be a special welcome for him whenever he comes racing at our tracks."

John Motson funeral date

The funeral for legendary BBC football commentator and racing fan John Motson will be held in Milton Keynes on March 24.

A service will take place at Crownhill Crematorium at 11.30am with donations taken for the Bobby Moore Fund and Bowel Cancer UK. 

Motson, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014, was universally known as 'Motty' and was a passionate supporter of racing.

He was the part-owner of three-time scorer Hannigan's Lodger for Nigel Twiston-Davies and was a regular attendee at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Motson died aged 77 last month and is survived by his wife Anne and son Frederick. His funeral is open to all but there is a request for no flowers.