BHA

A Guineas meeting in early June and the Derby and Oaks run in early July feature in the British Horseracing Authority's "best-case scenario" planning for a resumption of racing. With racing currently suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the season's first four Classics have been delayed from their usual slots in the calendar. However, the sport's Resumption of Racing Group is working to draw up provisional plans for when racing is able to return, with "a phased approach" to racing behind closed doors anticipated in the immediate stages. In...

The suspension of British racing will continue beyond the initial May 1 target date for resumption, the British Horseracing Authority confirmed on Wednesday. The BHA did not provide a new objective start-up date, but said plans are in place to allow the sport to resume as soon as possible, and that its plans continue to allow for resumption in the month of May if possible. Racing in Britain has been off since Mar. 18. With restrictions on mass gatherings likely to continue for some time, the BHA says racing with...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has launched Racing2Learn, a new online e-learning platform within the racing and Thoroughbred breeding industries. The platform, developed in collaboration with 1st4Sport Qualifications, provides a range of flexible eLearning courses and is free for a limited period. Areas covered include: Horse care; Racehorse welfare; Safeguarding. Certificates may be achieved which have continuous professional development (CPD) points applied by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. "Racing2Learn adds an important new feature to the existing comprehensive programme of training and education in...

Following Wednesday's announcement by Horse Racing Ireland that the Irish National Hunt season has been ended prematurely amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has now announced that jump racing in Britain will break until July 1. The move has been instigated following a proposal put forward by the National Trainers Federation (NTF) in order to provide clarity to trainers and owners in the jumping sector. The 2019/20 National Hunt season would normally have ended at Sandown on April 25, but that meeting has been lost during the...

The British Horseracing Authority will release an overarching plan for the sport of horse racing early next week, but in the meantime on Thursday it issued updates on a few areas: Apprentice agreements: changes to apprentice and conditional jockey and trainer agreements on the split of income and expenses, set to come into effect on Mar. 28, will be delayed. Whip consultation: a consultation by the Horse Welfare Board has been delayed to allow for a focus on the COVID-19 response. Early closing races: early closing deadlines have been temporarily...

Following the temporary shutdown of racing in the UK on Monday due to the coronavirus, industry leaders from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA), National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) met Thursday morning to work on an assessment of immediate needs and identify funding available from government and industry sources as a priority. This is a change in the industry's coronavirus plan from allowing racing to continue behind closed doors. The BHA is also liaising with key departments in the government to ensure they...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) will lead a submission to government seeking financial support for those within the racing industry who are affected by the sport's suspension during the coronavirus pandemic. Amid fears that many of those working in racing and subsidiary businesses, such as jockeys, race day support workers and transport companies, will face hardship as racing grinds to a halt, a number of the sport's senior executives met to discuss ways in which racing can benefit from the pledged financial package unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Tuesday....

The British Horseracing Authority will conduct breath testing of riders at British racecourses from Feb. 17 in a move away from the practice of having an external supplier conduct the testing. From Mar. 1, new rules will come into effect allowing a more flexible approach to breath testing. Chris Watts, Head of Integrity at the BHA, said, "This is an important and positive step in our testing procedures and will allow us to adopt a smarter and more cost-effective approach to testing. It will allow us to test more frequently...

British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Officer Nick Rust will step down from his position at the end of 2020 after nearly six years of leading British racing's governing body and regulator. Rust said in a letter to BHA staff on Tuesday, "I've spent much of the past year reflecting on my situation after my personal bereavement at the end of 2018. I wanted to let you and the BHA know my decision and plans well ahead of leaving to allow plenty of time for a successor to be identified and...

In an announcement described as “truly historic” by the British Horseracing Authority's Chief Executive Nick Rust, British racing will receive a new funding system from next April after the government confirmed its intention to replace the current Horserace Betting Levy. Under the new model, racing will benefit by being able to recoup charges from bookmaking firms for all bets on the sport, thus closing the loophole which currently exists for operators based offshore and for remote betting through online devices, which accounts for almost 50% of bets placed on horseracing....