Welcome new face is needed at the BHA at a time when boldness is required

Dear Lord Allen, 

This is the letter we planned to send you as the incoming chair of the BHA.

We are pleased to welcome you as the incoming chair of the BHA.

Thoroughbred horseracing is a sport that gives an enormous amount of pleasure and excitement to so many while at the same time providing employment and livelihoods for thousands of those involved in rural areas.

Many of us will have met you and we all appreciate the many hours you have put in acquainting yourself with our sport and all those involved ahead of you taking over the chair.

We welcome you as a fresh pair of eyes with no vested interest in the sport who can take a dispassionate look at the issues that have held back change and progress.

We have a first-class sport that faces an uncertain future, with declining foal crops and revenues and a constant need to prove its social licence, but it is part of the British fabric of life and one which I hope you and the BHA team can revitalise and take forward.

All members of the Thoroughbred Group have a vested interest in the long-term survival and growth of horseracing. Their jobs and livelihoods are dependent on our sport having a relevant and prosperous future.

We believe that in order to achieve that success we have to bring about change and work together with every sector of racing including the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the racecourses and the betting industry to ensure that every strand that makes up the sport is adequately involved and engaged so that the whole of racing can move forward together. 

There are some essential issues that need addressing and there is no point in making plans for the sport that do not take into account the issues that not enough horses are being bred, not enough quality horses retained, nor enough owners; the essential investors are coming into the sport to pay for the runners that are needed to service those plans. The shortage of suitable staff entering the industry is also a concern.

This is why the restructure of the BHA was so important and why we would support further change to lead the industry, with a realistic strategic plan for the future that recognises the issues, looks to solve them and isn’t influenced by vested and sometimes short-term interests.

If we believe in a strong governing authority, it must be able to facilitate change and be free and able to take steps and make decisions around prize-money, fixtures and the race programme, the number of quality races and the international comparisons and opportunities for our sport. 

British racing must recognise that a large proportion of its income comes from the betting industry in the form of media rights and levy payments and so it makes absolute sense to work with our largest customers to grow that income. However, we must recognise the threats to and the fragility of this funding model, and that for British racing to survive and compete at the international level we need a ­transformational change to our funding going forward.

Thoroughbred Group members are ready to embrace innovation and the new technologies and media opportunities available to our sport, and we look to the BHA to help us partner with others to ensure there is transparency on the revenue this drives and that it is shared fairly to further the BHA’s aim of “building a brighter future for our sport, our horses and our people”.

The Thoroughbred Group has already demonstrated its determination to find a strategy for the sport by coordinating its members and supporters into paying for a PWC report that has led on to stage two of the industry work on Projects Pace and Beacon.

These projects will provide vital background, but they should be seen as the start of a journey to review and reinvigorate our sport and its finances, and we, the ­Thoroughbred Group members, are open and ready to support the opportunities they might create. 

We welcome the considerable corporate experience and commitment you bring to our sport and look forward to supporting and working with you and the BHA team to transform British racing.
Julian Richmond-Watson
Chairman, The Thoroughbred Group

RoR’s approach is fair, strategic and realistic

In light of recent correspondence on the subject of racehorse aftercare (May 24) it is important to set out clearly the evolving role of Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and how it supports racing’s wider aftercare strategy.

RoR has been identified by the racing industry as the responsible body to lead and coordinate aftercare efforts that build and expand on our previous success. Today it is tasked with delivering a coherent, fair, and sustainable aftercare system, one that protects the welfare of all horses and not just those supported in charity retraining centres.

More than 2,000 horses are signed out of racing each year via non-racing agreements (NRAs). A core principle of the industry’s strategy is that owners must take responsibility for the first step of this transition, including appropriate due diligence to ensure the horse’s next home is suitable and sets them up for success. Many owners already do this admirably, using trusted networks and putting real care into the process. Unfortunately, some do not.

It is crucial to recognise that every racehorse requires retraining. When placed in homes that lack the skills or resources to undertake this essential work, the risk of future welfare issues increases dramatically. This fuels the ‘rescue’ narrative, damaging public perception and racing’s reputation.

RoR does not seek to limit the support for charities that retrain and rehome racehorses. On the contrary, we value and work with a strong network of approved retraining centres across the UK and have recently completed a comprehensive consultation with retraining centres that reaffirms the eligibility criteria and increases the funding for horses supported through our Vulnerable Horse Scheme. 

What we do seek is to ensure that limited charitable funding from racing is directed towards horses who genuinely require it – those in exceptional circumstances – without viable alternatives, and that charity partners are funded appropriately for their work.

If racing was to commit to central funding for the retraining of all retiring horses at an estimated £5,000–£8,000 each, the annual bill could exceed £16 million, a figure the industry cannot absorb.

Instead, RoR is focused on delivering practical, fair solutions that help owners and trainers to support the transition of racehorses in retirement. These include:

• A new assessment and reporting mechanism to support owners and trainers in making informed, responsible decisions about a horse’s future potential.
• Developing a Retrainer Approval Scheme (RAS), clearly distinguished from dealers, to signpost owners and trainers to responsible retrainers when owners lack the necessary networks or experience.
• The Retraining Assessment Programme (RAP), launched in ­partnership with Heros for cases where a horse’s second-career potential is uncertain. This programme is designed to be scalable, with a contribution of approximately £3,000 per horse required from the owner to support initial assessment before potentially receiving charity funding if needed.

These initiatives will allow us to support horses in genuine need while encouraging owners to take responsibility for routine transitions.

RoR is also expanding its education programmes for new owners to prevent avoidable welfare issues; increasing demand by providing opportunities to participate in competitions and activities; raising awareness of successful second careers; and, working with the Horse Welfare Board and others, developing systems to improve post-racing ­traceability.

RoR is also working to increase its independent income, reducing reliance on industry funding. We agree with calls for a fairer and sustainable funding model such as a single annual contribution from ­registered owners, but we currently operate within a legacy system. 

As an interim measure, generously supported by the Racehorse Owners Association, RoR will receive an average increased entry levy from £11.25 to approximately £26 per horse, with most owners contributing £15 or less. All things considered, a relatively modest contribution.

Since the launch of our comprehensive RoR Strategy 2024-26, we are now seeing increased support for the industry aftercare strategy from many stakeholders including owners, racecourses, trainers, jockeys, auction houses, breeders and bloodstock agents. Collective industry funding is vital as is transparency on how that money is spent.

At RoR we believe our approach is realistic, strategic and fair. Not every horse needs charitable support, but every horse deserves a responsible, well-considered transition. Our goal is to create a system that upholds that principle, delivers on our duty of care and protects the future of the sport.
David Catlow
Managing director, Retraining of Racehorses

I stand by my question

In answer to Nigel Payne’s response to my letter (May 12), he asks who I would suggest should pay for the cost of retired racehorses.

One just has to look at the sport in general. Owners pay for the horses, hence trainers, jockeys, the media, bookmakers and, most importantly, racetracks, who receive large sums through media rights, all profit from their spending. So why ask these important figures in racing, who rarely make a profit, to pay more?

Payne also asks for an explanation on my remark of who would stand up for owners if a mandatory cost for retirement was introduced. Quite simply, the Racehorse Owners ­Association is weak and toothless. There have been many decisions it has made which have led to an increase in costs, and I cannot think of one where they were reduced for the owner.

So I repeat, who would be sitting at the table representing owners if this proposal was being discussed?
Mo Charge
King’s Lynn

Was it a fair decision?

Since the Gosdens decided to stop using Kieran Shoemark as their stable jockey the yard has won two Group 1s.

If things had been different, Shoemark would have ridden Lead Artist to win the Lockinge Stakes, giving him a first Group 1 success in Britain, and he would have completed a first Classic victory with Field Of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Instead he has nothing.

Of course there would have been many discussions going on behind the scenes on the decision to remove Shoemark from the firing line, and I get that, but I can’t help asking myself, was this a decision that was really fair?
AC Hopkins
North Ayrshire

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