Jockey Club applies for injunction against 'illegal and reckless' Derby protests and spends £150,000 on extra security

The Jockey Club has lodged an application for a high court injunction against what it describes as Animal Rising's "explicit threat" to disrupt the Betfred Derby festival at Epsom.

The Jockey Club says it has offered the group – which was briefly successful in getting protesters on to the track ahead of the Grand National and has also staged attempts to disrupt racing at Ayr and Doncaster – a prominent place to stage a peaceful demonstration near the entrance to Epsom. If successful, the injunction seeks to prohibit individuals from entering on to the racetrack and carrying out other acts with the intention of disrupting the races.

Animal Rising has widely publicised its intention to try to disrupt the Derby meeting and the dossier supporting the Jockey Club’s application for a court injunction includes 118 pages of social media posts made by the organisation advertising its activity and encouraging people to sign up for action.

The injunction cites the racecourse, the parade ring and the route the horses take between the two and seeks to prevent unauthorised persons from entering any of those areas, or from throwing any object into them, with the aim of disrupting racing.

The application for an injunction includes details of the £70,000 plus VAT cost incurred by the Jockey Club in providing additional security at Aintree before the Grand National, while the group expects to spend £150,000 on measures at Epsom.

Chief executive Nevin Truesdale said the Jockey Club’s prime consideration was to protect the horses, jockeys and other racing staff as well as their paying customers.

“In planning for the Derby festival, our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised," said Truesdale.

"Our number-one priority will always be to ensure that the safety of all our equine and human participants and the thousands of racegoers who join us at Epsom Downs is not compromised"Credit: Mark Cranham

“We respect everyone’s right to peaceful and lawful protest and with that in mind have offered Animal Rising a space for this purpose directly outside the racecourse during the Derby festival. However, Animal Rising have made it explicitly clear that they intend to breach security and access the track itself in an attempt to stop racing taking place. It is our duty and obligation to do everything we can to protect everyone’s safety and prevent a repeat of the illegal and reckless protests we saw at Aintree in April.”

Truesdale added: “As such the decision to apply for an injunction is a course of action we have been forced to take and is the result of careful consideration following consultation with Surrey Police and a number of stakeholders. If successful, this would be just one of a range of robust security measures we are implementing to ensure the event can go ahead safely.

“We are proud to stage the Derby festival and hope that the thousands of people who look forward to attending over the two days and the millions more watching at home and around the world are able to enjoy what is not only an important event for the sport but an iconic moment in the British summer and a celebration of the thoroughbred.”

A witness statement from the Jockey Club's Amy Starkey details the minutes of a meeting held with leaders of Animal Rising after the group had contacted Epsom to tell them of their intention to mobilise 1,000 people for the Derby.

The meeting took place on May 11 in London and was attended by the Jockey Club's regional head of veterinary services Simon Knapp, and the BHA's head of corporate affairs Greg Swift.

Animal Rising's co-founder Dan Kidby gave details of a two-strand approach whereby activists would stage a peaceful demonstration to highlight their cause, in conjunction with "non-violent disruption" with the aim of preventing the Derby taking place.

Starkey's submission to the court cites Animal Rising's "transparency" in highlighting their determination to disrupt the Derby, before adding: "We make no apology for having to consider every option available to us to ensure that the event goes ahead safely."

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