Jockey Club boss backs BHA proposal to axe 300 races

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale has piled the pressure on rivals Arena Racing Company after expressing support for the BHA's proposed reduction of 300 races from next year's programme.

The proposal, reported on Sunday, had been met with mixed reaction. Arena Racing Company (Arc), which operates 16 courses, is understood to be unlikely to agree to plans – but declined to comment when asked by the Racing Post, while Truesdale argued action needed to be taken to combat declining field sizes in British racing.

Truesdale, who has held the chief executive post since December 2020, said on Monday he was in favour of the move and the long-term benefits it would bring to the sport. Field sizes have been at a record-breaking low since the turn of the year – notably at the Cheltenham Festival, the Jockey Club's biggest meeting, which featured the lowest average runners per race in its history, bar the pandemic year.