Richard discusses the sport’s growth strategy and the future of the fixture list – and shares his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe selection.

We also hear from trainer Charlie Fellowes on the and why you should nominate your star for the 2027 awards.

It saw the arrival of a new administration led by PM Andy Burnham, swiftly followed by a lengthy recess and then the Political Party Conference season. In less than a month the Burnham Government will unveil its first Budget and, yet again, this could have far-reaching consequences for British horseracing in the shape of potential tax rises.

As ever, the BHA Corporate Affairs team has been heavily involved in developments across several policy areas, and this blog details the ongoing work of our Corporate Affairs team in the lead up to the upcoming Budget on the 28^{th of} October.

Future of Betting Shops

It was perhaps unrealistic to expect that, following last year’s Budget and the significant debate triggered by HM Treasury’s consultation on remote gambling tax rates, we would not be back again 12 months later facing a further threat to racing’s income.

In a summer report, Labour-leaning think tank the Social Market Foundation proposed doubling the standard rate of Machine Games Duty from 20% to 40% for Category B machines, including those in high-street betting shops. It would, the report claimed, raise between £275m and £458m extra revenue for the Treasury. It is a plan which attracted the support of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who once worked in HMT with the now Chancellor John Healey.

Disappointingly for us, the report made no attempt to assess the potential second-order impacts – caused by a further loss of betting shops – of such a move on British racing.

Recent media stories suggest that the Treasury – currently losing valuable fiscal headroom due to the rising cost of borrowing and not helped by conflicts overseas – is considering the proposal. As a team, we are back trying to mobilise supportive parliamentarians to spell out how damaging this could be for the sport.

Independent modelling published today by Regulus Partners demonstrates that:

• If MGD is raised to 40%, it leads to 4,050 shop closures (c.75% of the remaining estate) and c.28,000 job losses in the betting sector.
• Levy income falls by £24³¾ and media-rights income by £68³¾, leaving racing £92m per year worse off. Such sharp drops in revenue would inevitably lead to reductions in prize money, which, would negatively impact businesses throughout British racing.
• If 75% of shops shut, this policy delivers 32% less revenue for HMT, not more, and delivers more unemployment in areas where jobless rates are already high.

You can read .

These numbers deliver a stark message. In short, the Government risks taking political pain, causing job losses in betting and triggering significant funding issues in racing to potentially hit the Laffer curve. This is a message we are taking into a meeting with HMT officials in early October. It is one we have also circulated to MPs and advisers during party conference season, more of which below.

We could acknowledge a counter argument that betting shop numbers are largely on a downward trend, reflecting changes in customer behaviour when it comes to gambling and that it may be better for us as British racing to keep our powder dry and focus on tweaking the funding model to ready ourselves for a time where the betting shop may be a thing of the past.

The reason we are not doing that is twofold. First, the main issue with the potential 40% tax rate is it will advance shop closure plans from operators as it will simply render too many of the existing shops unprofitable, given the significant costs associated with running a bricks and mortar business. An immediate rather than cumulative impact stems from that and we simply won’t have the opportunity as a sport to adapt.

Second, the latest industry statistics from the Gambling Commission demonstrate that horseracing turnover in shops was £2.9²ú²Ô in 2025-26. While the trends referred to above have reduced that figure over time, it is still a sizeable market that is largely catering for a significant community of older racing supporters for whom the betting shop is their engagement with our sport. If they wanted to switch to betting online, they would have done so by now.

While our argument is not as simple as it was in 2025, given racing is only being indirectly targeted, it is important that the industry sets out clearly to policymakers the risks associated with pursuing this policy.

House of Lords Report

The House of Lords Liaison Committee has published its Gambling Harm —Time for Action: Follow-up report, revisiting the work of the special Lords committee on the social and economic impact of the gambling industry and its 2020 report, Gambling Harm —Time for Action. The BHA engaged directly with that original inquiry, submitting written evidence on behalf of British racing, while then Chief Executive Nick Rust appeared before the committee to give oral evidence.

For this report the Committee, which contains prominent gambling reformist Lord Foster of Bath, only invited a select group of stakeholders to submit evidence to the inquiry. Neither the BHA nor any stakeholder in British racing were part of that select group.

The follow-up report concludes that gambling harm remains a major public-health issue and argues that the growth of advertising since the Gambling Act 2005 has helped stimulate both increased participation and harm. While the report is consistent with the conclusions of the 2023 Gambling White Paper in that it concludes there is no evidence of a causal link behind gambling advertising and gambling-related harm, its primary recommendation is for a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising, marketing and sponsorship.

Welcome exemptions were at least recommended for on-course advertising for betting on horseracing and greyhound racing and for gambling advertising during dedicated racing broadcasts. The report stops short of offering horseracing and greyhound racing the same carve out for digital platforms.

This blog has previously predicted that this area of gambling policy would be the next battleground, and this Committee has made a clear attempt to push the Government towards further intervention.

Any further review of Britain’s regulatory framework for gambling advertising must be guided by robust evidence, not ideological opposition to gambling or a predetermined desire for greater restriction.

Party Conferences

The team has been on the road for several weeks for party conference season, with a presence at Reform UK, the Liberal Democrat and Labour conferences so far.

There is still more to come, with Plaid Cymru, where the team will attend the Welsh party’s conference for the first time, and the Conservative Party conference next on the schedule, giving us further opportunities to engage political stakeholders and make racing’s case across the political spectrum.

Those who tuned in for the gambling fringe event at Labour conference – organised by the Coalition to End Gambling Advertising and think tank More in Common – would have heard questions on racing to the panel from our Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs Greg Swift, who was later able to have a lengthy meeting with the new Gambling Minister Vicky Foxcroft at a private event later that night.

This fringe has drawn a fair bit of commentary from racing supporters online, both for its perceived lack of balance in terms of a panel, and with the Minister, very new in her brief following the change in party leadership over the summer, receiving some criticism.

As Greg outlined in his question, the Minister has a large brief which also includes responsibility for youth, digital inclusion, civil society and loneliness, and will likely be working through a significant number of introductory stakeholder meetings over the coming months. We would therefore encourage racing fans to give the Minister the benefit of the doubt; future engagements will clearly be more indicative on where she stands.

A question we will certainly continue to raise, however, is whether being the only major sport placed in the gambling brief is the right move from the Department moving forward.

ÌýJack Barton, Policy & Advocacy Manager

As we approach the height of the yearling sales season, the BHA has issued the following update to remind allÌývendors, consignors and prospective purchasersÌýof theÌýÌýin relation to the use of unlicensed antipsychotic medications.

We are aware that substances such asÌýreserpineÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýfluphenazineÌýhave been administered to horses prior to sales, presumably for the purpose of calming and ease of handling.

Regardless of the intention, there are significant equine safety, welfare and integrity concerns with this practice.

It is important for all vendors, consignors and prospective purchasers to understand:

– Substances that have no current approval by any government regulatory authority for veterinary use, or any substance not universally recognised by veterinary regulatory authorities as a valid veterinary therapeutic treatment, are prohibited at all times.

– Substances such as reserpine and fluphenazine are Category A, as defined by the , and must not be present in a horse’s body at any time.

– Where a horse has a confirmed positive for a Category A substance in a sample, and a breach of the Rules is proven (by virtue of confirmatory analysis from the laboratory), the horse will be subject to a suspension from racing of 14 months.

Please remember that BHA-badged post sales testing is available at most British sales houses for lots purchased.

Purchasers are given this option at point of sale, with the horse taken immediately from the ring to the sample unit for testing. We strongly recommend that purchasers make use of this service.

It is also advisable to check the conditions of sale at each relevant sales house prior to any purchase to establish whether the horse may be returnable to the vendor if a post-sales blood sample is found to contain a prohibited at all times substance as defined by the BHAÌý.

If purchasers choose not to utilise the point-of-sale testing option and the horse subsequently has a confirmed positive for a Category A substance, then the horse will be at risk of the mandatory stand down and suspension from racing.

Under the , stable employees, jockeys or any other person who rides a horse under the care of a licensed trainer must wear a BHA-approved helmet and body protector.

Developed for use by trainers and stable employees, theÌývideo features Sarah Guest, 2023 Employee of the Year at the Godolphin Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards.

In the video, Sarah explains that no matter how experienced a rider someone is, activities with horses will always carry an element of risk.

Falls and kicks can happen in an instant, and wearing the right safety equipment every time you ride, even if only travelling short distances, can help reduce the risk and lessen the severity of injury.

A helmet is the first line of defence against a serious head injury, while the the back protector absorbs impact, protecting the spine, ribs and internal organs.

This safety equipment must be in good condition and meet the required standards as set out in the BHA’sÌý.

The BHA supports trainers in ensuring safe working practices that help prevent avoidable incidents and injuries.ÌýThe video has been developed to assist with this approach, as we work together to keep people safe.

, British racing’s LGBT+ network, brought together racegoers, colleagues and allies for an afternoon of racing, networking and community building, creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect while introducing new audiences to racing. While events like this are enjoyable social occasions, they’re also an important part of how the sport builds visibility, belonging and confidence for communities who have not always seen themselves reflected in racing.Ìý

For many attendees, the day was about much more than racing. Leigh Armstrong, Racing With Pride Deputy Chair, spoke about the importance of visibility and belonging within the sport:Ìý

“It’s really important that when you come racing you see people like yourself and for me that’s the main thing. It’s really important to have this group for visibility and for opportunities, like coming racing with Racing With Pride, because it helps you develop your confidence. I’ve always loved horse racing myself, so the impact for me is being able to come racing more and come with a group of people.”Ìý

The BHA’s Head of Raceday Operations Cathy O’Meara (centre) pictured with Erik Tomlin and Rose Grissell (both left) and guests.

One participant attending their first Racing With Pride event reflected:

“I’ve lived in Epsom all my life and, as a child, used to get a day off school to watch the Derby. This was my first Racing With Pride event and it was fantastic. Getting to see behind the scenes of racing, meeting one of the jockeys who later won me some money, and spending the day with so many welcoming people made it a really memorable experience.”Ìý

The event was made possible thanks to collaboration between British Horseracing Authority, Epsom Racecourse and Racing With Pride, demonstrating how different parts of the sport can work together to make racing more welcoming, accessible and representative – a model that could be adopted more widely across the sport.Ìý

Reflecting on the event, Racing With Pride Chair, David Letts said:

“Racing With Pride’s Summer Social was a huge success, providing an enjoyable and safe experience for both members of our network and those new to Racing With Pride. It was particularly encouraging to hear from first-time racegoers who said they would come back racing as a result of their experience. This is a great example of the sport working together to engage new audiences, and we are extremely grateful to the BHA and Epsom Downs Racecourse for their support.”Ìý

Helen Cowan, Community Engagement Manager at Epsom Downs Racecourse, said:

“Supporting Racing With Pride is a natural extension of our commitment to inclusivity at Epsom Downs Racecourse. We want everyone who visits, works at or participates in racing here to feel welcome and celebrated. Together, we can help ensure that our sport continues to be open, accessible, and inclusive for all.”Ìý

The BHA’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion Rose Grissell (left) and Erik Tomlin, Diversity and Inclusion Project Manager, pictured at Epsom Racecourse.

The Summer Social demonstrates how racing’s equality, diversity and inclusion ambitions can be brought to life through practical action. By creating opportunities for people to build confidence, form connections and feel they belong, events like this better support and celebrate our existing community while helping engage new audiences, two strategic objectives of racing’s .Ìý

Alongside supporting industry networks such as Racing With Pride, wider work includes improving people’s understanding of diversity and inclusion, simplifying the way people can report incidences of discrimination, developing more inclusive career pathways and helping organisations across racing create cultures where people feel able to be themselves.Ìý

For individuals, this means greater visibility, stronger support networks and increased confidence that they can be themselves in racing without feeling that they need to hide who they are. For the sport, it means attracting and retaining talented people from a wider range of backgrounds, strengthening connections with communities and ensuring racing remains relevant and accessible to future generations.Ìý

Events such as the Summer Social are an important part of that journey. They show how policy can be translated into meaningful experiences that have a real impact on people’s sense of belonging and demonstrate the value of collaboration across the sport.Ìý

Find Racing With Pride on or or email info@racingwithpride.co.uk to find out more.Ìý

Putting together the fixture list is almost certainly the biggest and most consequential task for my colleagues in the BHA’s Racing department each year and, given its significance to the sport’s overall health and performance, it is something that invariably brings about a range of strong opinions from everybody who cares about racing.

Its impact on so many of the sport’s vital statistics is of particular focus at this time, with racing renewing its commitment to a clear growth strategy. Growing the sport will only be achieved through building a connected system; an integrated racing strategy and focus on our customers, whilst continually improving horse welfare, developing our skilled workforce and supporting advancements in regulation, sustainability and technology.

The process

Each year, the sport’s leaders agree the fixture list policy, setting out the governing principles that ultimately lead to the production of the final fixture list. This process always involves balancing commercial considerations with the impact of staging the number of intended races from the perspective of competitiveness levels and, as a result, the sport’s wider appeal to the public, alongside the capacity of our participants and workforce to service it.

This was a particularly challenging discussion for 2027 because, since the pandemic, we have seen our horse population declining, falling by between one and two per cent each year. The key questions, therefore, were what size of fixture list could be serviced by our horse population and how can that fixture list help us to achieve our aims as we seek to stabilise this decline and, over time, to recover.

Whether we are talking about the foal crop or the number of horses in training, addressing this troubling trend is essential for the long-term health of our sport. Indeed, a shared desire to fuel growth in the sport has resulted in the fixture list you will see next week.

The 2027 Fixture List

At the time of writing, we are still putting the final touches to the 2027 fixture list but we expect that it will include approximately 1,440 fixtures, which is 18 fewer than in 2026. That said, the total number of programmed races will remain similar. This is due to racecourses taking the opportunity to defer a fixture date, whilst re-distributing the races from that fixture across their remaining programme. This provides a number of benefits, including reducing the number of 6-race cards for racegoers and offering some efficiency savings for participants. However, I understand that the decision not to reduce the volume of racing run in 2027 will cause much debate and so it is important that I explain how, after much deliberation, we reached this decision.

On the face of it, cutting the number of fixtures and races in 2027 would appear an obvious step to take given the declining horse numbers and our desire to provide fans with consistently competitive and engaging racing. Detailed modelling was produced which forecasts the number of horses we expect to see on our racecourses in the years ahead and I know that everybody understands that horse numbers cannot just be increased overnight.

Financial projections were also produced, however, showing how the sport’s major revenue streams – namely, media rights and levy – would be hit by several million pounds as a direct result of a significant reduction in fixtures or races. Of course, this would be at the same time as when those revenue streams are under much pressure as a result of falling betting turnover, itself linked to, amongst other things, the introduction of financial risk assessments and the associated loss of bettors to the black market.

Initiatives designed to incentiviseÌýthe breeding, owning,ÌýtrainingÌýand racing of horses in Britain require long-term investment. Some of those initiatives haveÌýbeen announced and are already under way; others are currently being developed. However, it is inescapable that, at least for the time being, the key revenue streams that provide that investment are inextricably linked to the volume of fixtures and races that we run each year.

We already know that different parties across the sport have a different view on whether the 2027 fixture list should have been cut. Primarily with customers in mind, some have argued for a contraction even though that would mean less money coming into the sport, at least in the immediate term. Others, meanwhile, believe that we should prioritise income levels, and therefore prize money, to avoid a further decline in racehorse ownership, even though that means field sizes are likely to remain under pressure at times of the year,

In the end and after considerable debate, the BHA Board concluded that the sport’s interests would be best served by seeking to support prize money and our long-term growth agenda, meaning, therefore, the volume of racing would remain largely unchanged in 2027.

It is too early to say what this means for 2028 and beyond, but I know that developing a new approach that moves away from the traditional annual fixture process to something that plans further ahead is high on the agenda of our incoming Chair, Simon Cox. I am confident that is something that all parties across the sport would support.

Continuing the work

It is important to say this this wasn’t an easy decision and I respect the fact that some will speak out in the days ahead to disagree with the approach taken. However, it does now mean we can continue our work towards underpinning the sustainability of breeding, owning, training and racing in Britain. As part of this, a package of measures designed to incentivise breeding, owning, training and running of horses here in Britain from 2027 have been submitted to the Levy Board for consideration this autumn. These measures, which have been developed over several months by various parties across the sport, including the High-Quality Horse Group, was presented to the Levy Board in July, with funding decisions to be taken at their next meeting in September.

If successful, this would build on the £4.4 million of additional funding the Levy Board approved at this time last year, allowing us to improve prize money and introduce initiatives aimed at strengthening our racing and breeding.

In 2026, recognising the essential role played by developmental races both in terms of nurturing talent and supporting domestic breeding, we introduced a £3.2 million prize money boost across the programme. Unlike in the past, these races are now run at prize money levels that are competitive with our closest international rivals. Moreover, they provide an early opportunity for owners to get a return on their investment, which can be boosted still further by some of the bonus schemes now in place such as GBB, which pays out nearly £6m each year in bonuses.

Last November, the GB Pointing Bonus Scheme began as a tool to strengthen what is a key pipeline and developing ground for quality horses to progress to race under Rules in Britain. This bonus totals £25,000 for a British-bred horse and is paid to owners when their horse wins an eligible race under Rules, as long as the horse is trained in Britain at the time of winning.

The popular Go North Series saw its series finals run for increased values in 2026, with each race worth at least £40,000, and increase from £30,000 in 2025. This will rise to £45,000 in 2027 and £50,000 in 2028.

We sought to support Britain’s Jumps trainers –Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýunderpinÌýthe quality of jump racing that fansÌýrightlyÌýdemand – with the introduction of the Training Fees Credit Scheme, which saw the owners of winning and placed horses in Grade 1 Chase and Hurdle races in the spring rewarded with credit towards placing a new horse in training in Britain. The successful owners are currently registering new horses ahead of the coming season, with the vouchers contributing to the training fees of those horses.

The Elite NH Mares’ Scheme was also boosted this year, with an additional £100,000 to increase grants for mares and widen access to mid- to upper-tier British NH stallions, potentially increasing the quality of their progeny. Alongside wider improvements to the mares’ race programme, this scheme has contributed to a marked increase in the number of elite Jump broodmares in Britain, from 150 a decade ago to more than 300 now.

On the Flat, the Levy BoardÌýsupportedÌýa joint venture with four host racecourses or racecourse groups – Ascot, Jockey Club Racecourses, Goodwood and York – to match-fund enhanced investment inÌýfour of Britain’s most high-profile races – the July Cup, Sussex, King George and International Stakes. In mostÌýcases, the racecourses were incentivisedÌýfurtherÌýtoÌýincreaseÌýthat investment, resulting in prize funds that generated unprecedented international participation andÌýa summer of enhanced fan engagement.

All ofÌýtheseÌýinitiatives were introduced withÌýthe goal of deliveringÌýlong-termÌýgrowthÌýforÌýthe sportÌýand that is what we must continue if we are toÌýreinvigorate theÌýhorse population in BritainÌýand the health of the sport.

The proposals for 2027 include some initiatives which have a longer-term perspective, but also some which will have a more immediate, short-term impact, investing in our sport and participants and increasing their financial returns. Subject to the Levy Board’s approval, I look forward to setting out in detail what they are and how they will work in the coming weeks.

Ultimately our aim is to invest in British racing. Our vision is for a thriving, growing sport. We have already seen six consecutive quarters of attendance increases which shows that our sport is capable of capturing the public interest but we need to back this up in the breeding sheds, in the stables and on the track. This is going to need financial stability, investment and greater returns to our participants.

The weather is always a hot topic of conversation in British racing. 2025 was the warmest and sunniest year on record and this summer we’ve seen record-breaking temperatures and a prolonged period of dry weather.

The Met Office has warned that climate extremes are becoming the new norm, and the heatwaves we’ve experienced in recent years have certainly brought water resilience into much sharper focus.

From turf and gallop management to horse welfare, water is critical to our day-to-day operations. This means that the absence of recent rainfall is inevitably taking its toll.

Newmarket’s watered gallop has been partially closed to manage reservoir water levels, and the need for seemingly endless irrigation has upped the pressure on racecourse Clerks and their grounds teams.

We’ve seen in recent years that we are particularly susceptible to weather extremes. Since 2015 we have lost 285 fixtures due to weather-related ground conditions, with 40% of these abandonments occurring in the last three years alone.

And it’s not just hard ground that’s been the cause; we’ve also seen a substantial rise in the number of fixtures lost to waterlogging. Whether its drought or flooding, these are challenges we must meet head on.

Racing Resilient: A sustainable future

British racing’s continued success is intrinsically linked to the health of our natural environment.

Last September, we took an important step by publishing Racing Resilient. This is the industry-agreed plan to safeguard our sport, horses and people against the effects of a changing climate.

Rooted in scientific evidence, the strategy builds on the positive work already underway to adapt our operations and harness new opportunities to tackle the environmental risks we face.

Like any strategy, its success depends on practical action. And from trainers investing in renewable technology to racecourses improving their water storage, a more sustainable approach to how racing operates is becoming the norm.

The green shoots of progress

Real progress can only be made if we have a clear understanding of how things look now, so that we can identify and measure where to make improvements.

We see so often that even the mention of climate change can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to future-proofing businesses and operations. It can be difficult to know where to start.

So, a big part of the past year has been helping organisations and individuals build their knowledge and then supporting them with practical guidance.

A huge amount of work has already been done, particularly on racecourses, to understand how much water is needed, where it’s currently sourced and what needs to be done to future-proof supply.

We often view water in terms of the racing surfaces and care of horses, but it underpins almost every aspect of a racing business. From maintaining facilities and supporting staff and visitors, reliable access to water is part of day-to-day operations.

There are already management systems at racecourses to help conserve water use, while some are embracing solutions like rainwater harvesting to collect, store and use water that would otherwise flow into drains.

Every racing business will face different issues, often influenced by regional and geographic factors. How we manage water supply and demand will vary across the country: from the traditionally wetter north-west to the more water-stressed eastern regions.

The most effective response is a balanced approach, which helps organisations understand their own position and identity the most appropriate interventions according to whether their challenges are related to drought, flooding or indeed both.

A similar approach has been taken on carbon emissions. With funding from the Racing Foundation, more than 75% of racecourses have been supported to establish their carbon footprint – the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by their activity.

More are set to complete this work soon, and all British racecourses now have access to a carbon calculator that allows them to gather accurate data to inform their emission efforts.

The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association launched its own in 2023 – believed to be the first developed specifically for use in the equine sector.

The tool calculates emissions across key areas of a breeding operation, including land and energy use, feed and bedding, manure management and horse transportation, and also offers solutions for reducing environmental impact.

Building on the success of the stud farm carbon calculator, we have now adapted and expanded the tool so that it is also available to the racehorse training community. The calculator helps yards better understand their carbon footprint, identify the main sources of emissions, and make informed decisions to improve business sustainability.

To provide further support, Carbon Literacy training for those in environmental roles across the industry has then helped to equip people to lead change within their own organisations – and this is something we will continue to deliver.

Resilience in action

What’s particularly encouraging is that we have seen several examples of new initiatives and tangible progress over the past year alone.

Ascot Racecourse has one of the largest rooftop solar installations across UK sport, with 1,200 new solar panels expected to generate approximately 9% of the racecourse’s electricity needs.

Ascot Racecourse and Gary and Josh Moore Racing have both installed solar panels

The team at Gary and Josh Moore Racing have taken similar steps to reduce their costs and improve energy resilience by installing solar panels at their Cisswood Stables – with investment in energy efficiency powering long-term term business planning.

New technologies are offering businesses increasingly more cost-effective ways to make a positive impact. Simple measures really can make a meaningful difference.

The British Racing School’s summer showcase was powered by a hydrogen generator rather than a conventional diesel or HVO equivalent. The generator produced reliable renewable energy and operated silently, which created a more relaxed environment for horses, riders and spectators.

And at Newton Abbot they’ve installed waterless urinals. This is a perfect example of using the latest technology to reduce water dependency and work in a more efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective way – while of course maintaining hygiene standards. The saving: approximately two million litres of water and £9,660 every year.

Not every sustainability success story needs to involve major infrastructure investment. Every action helps our industry become more resilient.

Custodians of the land

What’s been clear throughout this work is the recognition of our shared responsibility to protect and promote the natural environment. It is partly pragmatic, of course. The breeding, training and racing of horses rely on creating the optimum conditions for our equine athletes to thrive.

But as major landowners who manage thousands of acres of grassland, woodland and hedgerows, there’s also an overwhelming sense of what we can do to support our habitats to flourish. We’ve certainly seen more sustained interest in using racing’s estates to contribute towards local and national nature recovery.

Last year, Jockey Club Estates planted 17,800 trees and six miles of hedgerow in Newmarket through its forestry and conservation programme. The benefits of this are numerous: trees capture and store carbon and hedgerows provide vital habitats for various species of birds and insects.

What’s more, timber harvested from the estate is chipped down to create biomass fuel for the British Racing School, Jockey Club Rooms and National Horseracing Museum – a perfect illustration of interconnected solutions to reducing emissions and enhancing sustainability.

Sharing knowledge and best practice

There are many pockets of excellence and worthwhile activity across our industry. This is vital to making progress, but no single organisation can tackle our shared environmental challenges alone.

British racing has established itself as one of the leading jurisdictions in this space, mainly because we are approaching things in an increasingly collaborative and evidence-based way.

Our environmental action group has helped us improve how we coordinate efforts across the sport. Racing Foundation funding has allowed us to form partnerships with environmental experts and develop new ideas, including potential commercial opportunities to help sustain our sport and our global reputation.

In 2025, Jockey Club Estates planted 17,800 trees and six miles of hedgerow in Newmarket

And this work is attracting significant interest from other racing authorities.

Our momentum has contributed to global action – again, recognising that climate change, water security and environmental resilience transcend national borders.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) recently held its first ever Climate Change and Sustainability Summit. Britain has played a leading role in shaping this programme, with BHA chief executive officer Brant Dunshea chairing the IFHA’s Sustainability Committee.

It’s important that British racing leads globally and is seen as a source of expertise and action. What’s also crucial is that we learn from others and identify new and innovative ways to deliver improvements on our shores.

What’s next?

Thanks to a monumental effort from racecourses, breeders, training yards, businesses, charities and so many others, we have established strong foundations for growth and started to accelerate progress in key areas.

Businesses are reviewing purchasing decisions, reducing unnecessary waste and considering environmental impacts as part of routine operational planning. They are thinking more sustainably, both in terms of their own organisations and the industry more generally.

Water resilience remains high on the agenda, as does future proofing our sport against extreme weather at the other end of the spectrum. It won’t be long until we are managing the impact of rainfall, waterlogging and deep freezes. Again, there is valuable work underway in this space to protect our operations.

It’s so often the case that those with the desire to make progress lack the means or the support. An immediate priority is to develop more practical tools and expert guidance through a central industry resource to share examples of best practice and learning, so that we are supporting everyone to make more sustainable choices.

The environmental sustainability of British racing is already becoming part of everyday decision-making. There’s still much more to do, but the momentum is growing and we’re seeing practical action that can help protect the sport and safeguard our long-term future.

If you’re interested in learning more, please get in touch: kcarr@britishhorseracing.com.

Simon talks about his passion for racing, his previous career experience and how nothing could ever keep him away from the Cheltenham Festival.

By David Hicks – Team Principal, Clerk of the Scales & Judges

The photograph

In March of this year, ultra high-resolution cameras were rolled out across every British racecourse to improve the quality of images judges are able to review when determining the outcome of a race.

These cameras capture images at around 6,000 frames per second, a much higher frame rate than previously, and also provide a significantly clearer image for judges to review.

It is important to keep in mind that the photo finish camera is the only camera that is aligned directly on the winning line. TV cameras, including the slow-motion camera often used on the broadcasts you are watching at home, may be very close to the line but they are never directly on it.

Once in position, the cameras record many thousands of photos of the winning line which shows us a timeline of when each horse crosses the line. Every vertical line of pixels in any of the images you see is a photograph of the winning line.

A photo finish

My approach is to say that every race is a dead heat until you have evidence that it is not. Clearly, in a majority of cases it is not difficult to do that but, as we have seen recently, finishes can get extremely tight.

When all horses have completed a race, the photo finish operator stops recording and immediately shows the Judge. In most cases, where the winning margin looks by eye to be less than a head, we will announce a photo finish on course and begin the process of determining the result.

At this point, the operator is able to enlarge the image on the relevant horse so that a line can be placed on the leading part of its head. Sometimes, as we saw at Newmarket in the second race of the afternoon on Saturday 4 July, it is not always immediately clear which horse, if any, has come home in front.

When this is the case, we can continue to zoom in further, ensuring that there is sufficient contrast between the image of the horse’s nose and the background, so we can clearly identify the leading part of the horse’s head. In the case of the race at Newmarket, we were able to identify a gap, albeit only a few pixels.

To help demostrate this further, we are also able to move the line across the image to the point where it touches the second horse’s nose. Remembering that every vertical line is a photograph of the winning line, what we could see at this point in time was that the winner’s nose was already across the line and was therefore in front.

Having seen this evidence, the Judge will confirm the result with the Stewards before announcing it to the public, in order to provide an extra layer of checks and verification on top of the judge’s decision.

The governing principles

The introduction of the new cameras earlier this year has not changed the way in which we are going about our work as judges. We still follow the same processes and call results in exactly the way we did previously.

What I can say is that, as a result of the increased frame rate and image clarity of the new equipment, we are now able to separate horses in a way that we would not have been able to previously.

Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean an end to dead heats entirely, but we are now able to call results with a much greater degree of accuracy.

As far as the time taken to call some results, there is no time pressure directly on our judges to determine a result. Naturally, we want to get a result confirmed as soon as is reasonably possible but the main thing for us is that we take our time and clearly examine the evidence in front of us. Our priority is announcing the correct result in the first instance, rather than rushing to get a result out that may not be correct.

In conclusion

The introduction of the new cameras has represented a shift for all of us involved in the sport, given the increased ability we now have to determine results. It is entirely understandable that those of you following the sport and betting on races may have been surprised by some of the recent decisions.

I can assure you with total confidence that all recent examples of tight finishes have been called correctly.

Recognising that due to the challenges with viewing some images in a lower resolution than the judges have access to, the wide image alone may not initially provide full confidence in the result called, these extra images will show a close-up of the gap that has been identified by the Judge, as well as another showing the second-placed horse hitting the line with the winner already beyond it.

I would also remind everybody that the clearest view of the image is that seen by the judge on course. Photographs of a webpage or television screen shared on social media result in a compressed image that can present a misleading view on a given outcome. If you have any concerns, I would always advise you to check the images uploaded to the BHA website.