'The picture she paints I don't recognise': Bazalgette baffled by Bushell letter

Simon Bazalgette said on Monday he did not recognise the portrayal of the Jockey Club painted by Delia Bushell, his successor as chief executive of the body, as the shock news of her resignation continued to reverberate around the sport.

Bushell's short tenure at the head of one of British racing's oldest and most powerful organisations ended on Sunday in extraordinary circumstances after an independent barrister upheld allegations against her including the bullying of colleagues, the use of racist comments and sharing offensive material.

In response, Bushell wrote a devastating letter of resignation in which she portrayed the process as "flawed and biased" and "a deeply unpleasant 'stitch up'", as well as describing the Jockey Club as "a male-dominated organisation" which "seeks to discredit and ostracise anyonechallenging its status quo".