Racing's major new consumer survey could be 'the thing that's going to get us back to punching our weight' - but what is it and what happens next?

Senior figures from the sport have spoken to the Racing Post in the wake of the findings from Project Beacon  – the most extensive consumer insight survey ever conducted by British racing – being unveiled. Here, Industry editor Bill Barber examines the project 

What has been said about Project Beacon?

BHA acting chief executive Brant Dunshea described the project as "the most comprehensive and insightful piece of consumer research" he had seen in more than 30 years in the sport, while Great British Racing's Simon Michaelides said they were "incredibly excited by Beacon".

He added: "It really does feel like it's the thing that's going to get us back to punching our weight, getting us back in the forefront of the public's consciousness and really rejuvenating our social licence and cultural relevance."

What has the survey found?

Beacon has scoped and segmented the available market for racing in the UK and it has proved to be bigger than anticipated at 22.7 million people. The research has given stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of who those people are, where they are, what would motivate them to engage with racing, and what stops them from engaging.

Welfare concerns have emerged as one of the main barriers to engagement for all consumer groups, including the sport's biggest fans, with 20 to 30 per cent of people engaged in the sport harbouring concerns.

Among newcomers and casual racing fans, Beacon has identified lack of emotional connection with the sport and its participants as a major barrier to engagement.

Michaelides said racing had always known it was disadvantaged compared to other sports due to lack of teams and "geographic tribalism", but that Beacon had given them insight into what it could offer, namely its personalities, narrative and sporting action.

Beacon has also identified what Michaelides described as the "huge potential upside for ownership", with more than three million people interested in small stakes, shared ownership and micro-shares.

Which areas is British racing focusing on?

The research contained in Project Beacon has set out six priority areas that the sport must focus on to drive future engagement. 

Those include improving the raceday experience and betting product for fans; making ownership more accessible, less expensive and easier to become involved in; and shifting welfare perceptions.

Simon Michaelides: racing hampered by "geographic tribalism"

On welfare, Michaelides said Beacon had provided more insight into the nuances of public concerns. He said: "We expect to see concerns going down over time, because we now understand in a lot more detail what it is people are nervous about and also how might we go about allaying those fears."

Key areas also include "demystifying" the sport and making it easier to understand for newcomers, creating a structure that makes racing easier to follow through the year, and creating stronger emotional connections to races, people and stories. 

The creation of a race structure and narrative to help new fans has fed into the Premier racing concept, which has been redefined for 2026.

What happens next?

British racing's leadership is already using the findings of Project Beacon in the formation of priorities and action plans for 2026, with funding bids lodged with the Levy Board.

Among those is the continuation of the sport's national marketing campaign 'The Going Is Good', which has been credited with helping to grow attendances and interest in the sport. There will also be a move to improve racing's social media presence to highlight its characters and storylines.

Michaelides said one of the things they were hearing "loud and clear" from Beacon was that where the audience wanted to engage with the sport was on social media. One of the ways the sport plans to demystify horseracing is through a series of video guides. 

GBR is also going to work more closely with the Racehorse Owners Association on the marketing of shared ownership.

Read more:

The going was good: British racing's £3.6m national marketing campaign hailed a success and set to return in 2026 

British racing has 'massive growth potential' if it can harness interest of huge group of 'persuadable' adults 

Big Jump Off Flash Sale: Get your first month of RP+ Ultimate for £20!

The Big Jump Off is available from Sunday, October 19 to Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers through the digital newspaper - part of the ultimate horseracing subscription with Racing Post+ Ultimate. Sign up now and you can get 60% off your first month using the code BIGJUMPOFF20, plus you'll have access to our unbeatable series of stable tours featuring the likes of Nicky Henderson, Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton. Sale ends at midnight on Monday, October 20. Available only to new and returning customers. Subscription will auto-renew at £49.95 unless you call our cancellation line to cancel. The Big Jump Off is also available in all good newsagents on Monday, October 20.