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The Handicapper: Randox Grand National

Murry Toms — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:26:49 +0000

BHA Handicapper Martin Greenwood joined host Tommy Churchyard to provide his take on I Am Maximus’ historic second Grand National success at Aintree on Saturday.

Ratings updated every Tuesday

The BHA Podcast – Randox Grand National 2026

Murry Toms — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:45:09 +0000

One of the best days of the year is finally here!

It’s the 2026 Randox Grand National and we’ve got everything you need to start your morning. BHA CEO Brant Dunshea joins host Nick Lightfoot to run through some of the big recent headlines, before James Given stops by to discuss the BHA’s role in keep the equine stars of the show safe and healthy.

Meanwhile, on-course at Aintree, Mark Scully speaks to a Grand National legend as Barry Geraghty shares the advice he gives to the riders as part of his jockey briefing.

Watch: Equine welfare at the Grand National Festival

Murry Toms — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:37 +0000

Horse safety and welfare is paramount to British racing.

Ahead of this year’s Grand National Festival at Aintree, we have produced a short film to highlight the measures in place to ensure that each runner lines up in the best possible condition and receives the highest standard of care and support.

Here Sally Taylor, BHA Head of Equine Regulation, Safety & Welfare, and Amy Hawthorn, BHA Veterinary Officer, walk you through the steps taken for each horse running at Aintree Racecourse, including:

– Pre-race examinations.
– Submission and analysis of medication records.
– Monitoring of horses during and after the race.

For more information on horse safety and welfare in British racing, – British racing’s online hub dedicated to the Thoroughbred racehorse.

New blog: Affordability checks, Levy review and Scottish and Welsh elections

Murry Toms — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:06:15 +0000

For his first update of 2026, Policy and Advocacy Manager Jack Barton runs through some of the live issues that the BHA’s Corporate Affairs team are actively working on.

Affordability checks – Save Our Bets

When the nature of your work is reliant upon political timing, best laid plans can quickly change.

And our understanding that the Gambling Commission (GC) Board is planning to formally sign off its “Financial Risk Assessments” pilot in May has put us firmly back on the campaign trail. With no public update on its progress – or indeed on NatCen’s independent evaluation of the pilot – since May 2025, it was news that came as somewhat of a surprise.

Ahead of the Grand National this weekend, the sport has come together to make clear its opposition to what are more commonly known as affordability checks. Yesterday more than 400 people from racing and cross party MPs/Peers signed an open letter to Lisa Nandy MP, the Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, urging her to instruct the Gambling Commission to stop the roll-out of the checks this spring.

Racing and betting have also joined forces with and today we have launched an online portal for racing fans and punters to write to their local MP asking them to put pressure on the Government to halt the checks.

Why are we doing this?

According to betting operators who have worked on the GC’s pilot of checks, which has been running for more than 18 months, the credit reference agencies (CRAs) used are obtaining vastly different results for the same customer and an insufficient level of data to profile customer risk. It means that if these checks were implemented now they would not be entirely ‘frictionless’ for punters.

It would mean some would still be required to hand over personal financial documents such as payslips and bank statements, but at new, lower thresholds than the current 2024 Voluntary Industry Code.

As the BHA and racing have outlined consistently since the publication of the 2023 Gambling White Paper – including in our ‘Right to Bet’ campaign that year which saw over 100,000 people sign our petition which led to a debate in Parliament – affordability checks as they stand would have severe consequences for the sport’s finances.

And in allowing the GC to implement the checks in their current form, the Government would also directly contradict its own position. Previous DCMS Minister Stuart Andrew MP said checks would only be implemented if they could be proven to be “truly frictionless.”

This position has since been adopted by the current Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross, who said in January 2025:”While I am clear we do want to have these checks to help address problem gambling, I’m also clear financial risk checks need to be and can be proportionate. I believe this is possible – frictionless, near-instantaneous checks, a system which is better for customers, better for the betting industry and better for racing.”

Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) modelling, as covered recently in the Racing Post, showed how damaging the impact of affordability checks could be on racing’s finances, as well as the overall betting experience for our fanbase.

With net loss thresholds set at £1,000 in 24 hours, and £2,000 over 90 days, approximately 120,000 racing bettors would face document checks, with 96,000 racing bettors then stopped from betting at the upper threshold, and nearly 45,000 of those bettors then taking their business to the illegal market.

This would cost the racing industry £13.2m in Levy payments, with further heavy financial consequences for media rights payments and sponsorship arrangements with betting operators. We cannot accept this further damage to racing’s finances, especially in a world where Levy reform is not being pursued by the Government – despite having previously agreed to a deal – and where the wider betting industry is being hit by higher taxes and regulation.

Piloting state-mandated affordability checks as proposed in the White Paper was the right thing to do. But a pilot exists to ascertain whether a new policy will work, and it is not clear that the pilot has shown that frictionless checks are yet a reality.

Since the pilot began in 2024, it has been overtaken by events outside the process, namely the rapidly increasing growth of the gambling black market. The Treasury itself acknowledged the threat of illegal betting in the 2025 Budget by handing £26m to the GC to tackle its growth.

Adding further regulation to the regulated betting industry – and friction for those who just want to place a bet – will only accelerate illegal betting and suck more money away from the legal market, the Treasury coffers and the sport of horseracing. Even the Conservative Party, who initially advanced this policy, now recognise that.

It is why we are once again asking the Government to reconsider its policy on affordability checks and pause their implementation until they can be guaranteed to be fully frictionless. This is a legacy policy from a previous Government. It is perfectly acceptable for a government to believe it is not bound by the decisions of its predecessor. This Labour Government would be congratulated for taking that approach.

We hope that those who follow our sport, and those who work within it, will support this campaign and voice their opposition to a well-meaning but flawed policy that will only put further pressure on racing’s finances.

Conclusion of the Levy review

DCMS published a Written Ministerial Statement in the House of Commons prior to Easter recess confirming that the Government has closed its review of the Horserace Betting Levy and that there will be no increase in the current rate of ten per cent. As Brant outlined in his statement following the announcement, it was a frustrating but not unexpected outcome.

The Government committed to reviewing the Levy in the 2023 Gambling White Paper. In doing so, it stated it would ensure that British racing had the “appropriate level of funding”, recognising that there would be a financial impact on the sport from other proposals in the White Paper including affordability checks.

It quickly became clear that the preference of the Department was for a negotiated solution and despite a deal being reached in May 2024 which would have seen that Levy rate raised to 11.5% – with 1% of this ringfenced for a new growth fund to market and promote the sport – the early General Election scuppered its implementation.

With the 2025 Budget then providing what BGC CEO Grainne Hurst described as a “hammer blow” for the betting industry, it became evident that DCMS was unwilling to countenance Levy reform at a time when operators would be particularly unwilling to contribute more to racing.

Racing will be working with betting to fully understand the impact of tax and regulatory changes on the sector in the months and years ahead but equally, racing continues to face our own stiff economic headwinds and reform to the Levy will be necessary in the longer term to put British racing on a secure financial footing.

While the timing may not currently be right, we will continue to work hard to make sure the Government understands this. And we will be monitoring the evidence case ahead of any future look into whether the Levy mechanism is providing the correct level of support for British racing.

Scottish and Welsh elections

Voters go to the polls in both Wales and Scotland next month and it looks like we are heading for a change in Government in at least one of the devolved administrations. While polling suggests the SNP is almost certain to win the election, in Wales it now seems inevitable that for the first time since 1997 Labour will not be returning to power, unless they are a junior partner in a coalition to secure a parliamentary majority.

Plaid Cymru are leading the polls in Wales with Reform UK not far behind. With a high number of new Senedd members set to be elected in May, our Cross-Party Group for Horseracing will be seeking to build a number of new connections that will see 96 members of the Senedd elected instead of 60.

Ahead of the elections we will be briefing candidates in key racing constituencies in Wales and are working with Scottish Racing to replicate this process in Scotland.

Open letter to Secretary of State for DCMS, Lisa Nandy MP

Murry Toms — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:07:28 +0000

British racing has written an open letter to DCMS Secretary of State Lisa Nandy, calling on her to pause the introduction of affordability checks which are understood to be signed off by the Gambling Commission next month.

The Gambling Commission’s pilot of these checks – which began in 2024 – has shown that the checks will not be fully frictionless for bettors. Implementing these checks now would do lasting damage to British horseracing by reducing the money flowing into the sport from betting and driving more punters to the growing illegal betting market.

The letter, which has been signed by 408 leading figures across the sport, in addition to supportive politicians, asks the Secretary of State to reconsider the policy.

———–

Dear Secretary of State,

We are writing to express our deep concern over plans to introduce affordability checks for betting, due to be signed off by the Gambling Commission’s board next month and urge the Government to rethink a policy which will cause lasting damage to British horseracing.

For more than 350 years our sport has enjoyed a uniquely interdependent relationship with betting. A day at the races and a flutter on the horses is something that is deeply embedded in the British way of life. But this cultural, social and economic institution is now at risk if the decision to impose affordability checks for even low levels of betting goes ahead.

It was the last Conservative Government that proposed affordability checks as part of its gambling policy to make betting fit for the digital age.
While the intention was sensible, the delivery has failed. Instead of making it easier and safer for people to have that flutter, regulatory changes have only made it harder.

Little wonder then that growing numbers of people are now betting illegally rather than be subjected to intrusive checks more appropriate for securing a mortgage than engaging in a legal pastime enjoyed by millions of Britons.

Even a survey by the Gambling Commission found 66% of punters saying that they would not feel comfortable about operators using credit reference data.

This unprecedented state intrusion into people’s private lives has dismayed the millions of people who love horseracing. Over 100,000 signed a petition against the checks in 2024, triggering a Westminster Hall debate at which then Minister Stuart Andrew MP said that the checks would only be introduced if they were “truly frictionless”.

The subsequent Gambling Commission pilot of affordability checks involving Credit Ratings Agencies has proved a 100% success rate is not possible. Despite our repeated warnings, the Commission seems intent on pursuing this highly controversial policy regardless of the consequences for Britain’s second most-popular sport.

These proposals would do lasting damage to a major British industry, which provides more than 85,000 jobs, contributes more than £4bn to the country’s economy and is a leader on the world stage.

Your Government demonstrated it recognised this risk when the Chancellor used her Budget to give the Gambling Commission £26m to tackle the burgeoning betting black market. Adding a further layer of regulation right now would be at best a grave misjudgement and at worst, a gift to the criminal underworld that benefits from these illegal betting operations.

The landscape has changed since your Government took office and it is time for us all to work together to find a better solution.
It is not too late for you to reconsider the unintended consequences of your predecessor’s policies and “Save Our Bets” to secure British horseracing’s future.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Timothy MP – Vice Chair, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Grahame Morris MP – Officer, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Lee Dillon MP – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Rt Hon The Lord Herbert of South Downs – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Jack Rankin MP – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Rt Hon The Baroness Prentis of Banbury – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Charlie Dewhirst MP – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Peter Bedford MP – Member, Racing and Bloodstock APPG, Sean Trivass – Chair, Horserace Bettors Forum, David Jones – Interim Chair, British Horseracing Authority, Brant Dunshea – CEO, British Horseracing Authority, Baroness Harding of Winscombe – Senior Steward, The Jockey Club, Jim Mullen – Group CEO, The Jockey Club, Nadia Powell – Interim CEO, Jockey Club Racecourses, Nick Patton – Managing Director, Jockey Club Estates, Anna Kerr – CEO, The National Stud, Martin Cruddace – CEO, Arena Racing Company, Wilf Walsh – Chair, Racecourse Association, Alex Eade – CEO, Racecourse Association, Delly Innes – CEO, Scottish Racing, Paul Johnson – CEO, National Trainers Federation, Paul Struthers – CEO, Professional Jockeys Association, Dale Gibson – Executive Director (Racing), Professional Jockeys Association, Dawn Goodfellow – CEO, Racing Welfare, Tom Kerr – Editor, Racing Post, Philip Newton – Chair, Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Naomi Mellor – CEO, Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Dr Jim Walker – Chair, Racehorse Owners Association, Louise Norman – CEO, Racehorse Owners Association, Charlie Parker – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Sam Hoskins – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Stephen Appelbee – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Chris Wright – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Gay Kelleway – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Peter Savill – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Mark Johnston – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Dan Abraham – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Tom Goff – Board member, Racehorse Owners Association, Felicity Barnard – CEO, Ascot Racecourse, David Brown – Managing Director, Ayr Racecourse, Alan MacDonald – Chair, Ayr Racecourse, Richard Johnstone – Director, Ayr Racecourse, Stuart Morrison – Director, Ayr Racecourse, Sally Iggulden – CEO, Beverley Racecourse, Helen Willis – General Manager, Carlisle Racecourse, Rt Hon The Lord Cavendish of Furness – Chair, Cartmel Racecourse, James Sanderson – Executive Director, Catterick Racecourse, Guy Lavender – CEO, Cheltenham Racecourse, Louise Stewart – CEO, Chester Race Company, Jim Allen – General Manager, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Jack Parkinson – General Manager, Exeter Racecourse, David Hunter – CEO, Fakenham Racecourse, Sam Bullard – Chair, Fakenham Racecourse, Susie Wales – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Ian Mason – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, William Wales – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Nigel Savory – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Adam Case – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Jonathan Barber – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Jack Bloom – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, Robert Gurney – Director, Fakenham Racecourse, James Crespi – Racecourse Director, Goodwood Racecourse, Simon Tonge – General Manager, Haydock Park Racecourse, Robert Whitelock – Racecourse Manager, Hexham Racecourse, Daniel Craggs – General Manager, Huntingdon Racecourse, Jonathan Garratt – Managing Director, Kelso Racecourse, Simon Durrant – General Manager, Kempton Park Racecourse, Simon Sherwood – Managing Director, Ludlow Racecourse, Lord Boyne – Chair, Ludlow Racecourse, Jack Pryor – General Manager, Market Rasen Racecourse, Shaun Hinds – CEO, Newbury Racecourse, Sophie Able – Newmarket Racecourses and International Director, The Jockey Club, John Baker – CEO, Newton Abbot Racecourse, Peter Austin – Joint Chair, Newton Abbot Racecourse, George Welch – Joint Chair, Newton Abbot Racecourse, Tommy Williams – General Manager, Nottingham and Warwick Racecourses, Matthew Taylor – Director of Racing, Perth Racecourse, Morag Connaghan – Director of Operations, Perth Racecourse, Brian Stevenson – CEO (Scone Estates), Perth Racecourse, Jon Mullin – CEO, Pontefract Racecourse, James Hutchinson – Managing Director, Ripon Racecourse, Andrew Wells – Chair, Ripon Racecourse, Jeremy Martin – Executive Director, Salisbury Racecourse, Sarah Drabwell – General Manager, Sandown Park Racecourse, Ilona Barnett – Managing Director, Stratford Racecourse, Michael Rowe – Chair, Stratford Racecourse, Patrick Davis – Chief Executive Officer, Taunton Racecourse, James Sanderson – Chief Executive Officer, Thirsk Racecourse, Blaithin Murphy – General Manager, Wincanton Racecourse, William Derby – CEO, York Racecourse, Dickon White – Regional Director – North West, The Jockey Club, Patricia Thompson – Breeder, Cheveley Park Stud, Richard Thompson – Breeder, Cheveley Park Stud, Chris Richardson – Stud Manager, Cheveley Park Stud, Peter Stanley – Breeder, New England Stud, Graham Smith-Bernal – Breeder, Newsells Park Stud, Julian Dollar – Stud Manager, Newsells Park Stud, Simon Sweeting – Stud Manager, Overbury Stud, Dan Skelton – Trainer, Hugo Palmer – Trainer, Iain Jardine – Trainer, Jedd O’Keefe – Trainer, John Gosden OBE – Trainer, Karl Burke – Trainer, Lucinda Russell – Trainer, Melanie Rowley – Trainer, Michael Scudamore – Trainer, Paul Nicholls – Trainer, Peter Scudamore – Assistant Trainer, Ralph Beckett – Trainer, Richard Hannon – Trainer, William Haggas – Trainer, Adina Harrison – Racehorse owner, Alastair Bentall – Racehorse owner, Alex Mason – Racehorse owner, Allan Casey – Racehorse owner, Allan Gibson – Racehorse owner, Andrew Bengough – Racehorse owner, Andrew Crofts – Racehorse owner, Andrew Harrison – Racehorse owner, Andrew McGladdery – Racehorse owner, Andrew Newlands – Racehorse owner, Andrew Taylorson – Racehorse owner, Andy Storey – Racehorse owner, Angela Tucker – Racehorse owner, Ann Jukes – Racehorse owner, Anthony Jukes – Racehorse owner, Anna Hawkins – Racehorse owner, Anne Tylden-Wright – Racehorse owner, Anthony Bradford – Racehorse owner, Anthony Champion – Racehorse owner, Anthony Millar – Racehorse owner, AWM Mitchell – Racehorse owner, Barbara Fretwelll – Racehorse owner, Barry Stephen George – Racehorse owner, Barry Swift – Racehorse owner, Belinda Boyd – Racehorse owner, Ben Speke – Racehorse owner, Benjamin P Britcliffe – Racehorse owner, Betley Tim – Racehorse owner, Brian Anderson – Racehorse owner, Brian Ferguson – Racehorse owner, Brian Walsh – Racehorse owner, Bruce Confrey – Racehorse owner, Bruce Stevens – Racehorse owner, Bryan Tait – Racehorse owner, Bumble Mitchell – Racehorse owner, Camilla Brownlow – Racehorse owner, Carl Jones – Racehorse owner, Carol Sutton – Racehorse owner, Caroline Parsons – Racehorse owner, Caroline Ridley – Racehorse owner, Caroline Tisdall – Racehorse owner, Carolyn Elwes – Racehorse owner, Catharine Hutley – Racehorse owner, Charles Gregson – Racehorse owner, Charles Jamieson – Racehorse owner, Charles Stebbing – Racehorse owner, Charles Street – Racehorse owner, Chris Liddle – Racehorse owner, Chris Spark – Racehorse owner, Chris Vallis – Racehorse owner, Christine Annette Barker – Racehorse owner, Christopher Anderson – Racehorse owner, Christopher Andrews – Racehorse owner, Cindy Betley – Racehorse owner, Clare Lewis – Racehorse owner, Clarinda Collin – Racehorse owner, Colin Hord – Racehorse owner, Colin Potts – Racehorse owner, Colin Rogers – Racehorse owner, Compton Hellyer – Racehorse owner, Craig Talbot – Racehorse owner, D L Bayliss – Racehorse owner, Daniel Shackleton – Racehorse owner, Darren Harrison – Racehorse owner, David Craster – Racehorse owner, David Fletcher – Racehorse owner, David Gibson – Racehorse owner, David Jamieson – Racehorse owner, David Preston – Racehorse owner, David Sykes – Racehorse owner, Dawn Williams – Racehorse owner, Derek Gibbons – Racehorse owner, Derek Passant – Racehorse owner, Diana Sanderson – Racehorse owner, Diane Rush – Racehorse owner, Diane Smith – Racehorse owner, Dominic Burke – Racehorse owner, Dr Louise Peace – Racehorse owner, Eddie Minghella – Racehorse owner, Edmund Richardson – Racehorse owner, Elisabeth C Roberts – Racehorse owner, Eliz Hamilton – Racehorse owner, Elizabeth Bishop – Racehorse owner, Elizabeth O’Donnell – Racehorse owner, Elliot Horton – Racehorse owner, Elsa Sherwood – Racehorse owner, Emma Banks – Racehorse owner, Ernest Turner – Racehorse owner, Evan M Sutherland – Racehorse owner, Fiona Hart – Racehorse owner, Fiona Mathews – Racehorse owner, Frances Felicity Simpson – Racehorse owner, Gareth Fowler – Racehorse owner, Gavin Graham – Racehorse owner, Geoff Good – Racehorse owner, Geoff Walker – Racehorse owner, Geoffrey Howson – Racehorse owner and Hon. President, Federation of Bloodstock Agents (GB), George Critchley – Racehorse owner, Gerald Shearing – Racehorse owner, Gerard Strahan – Racehorse owner, Gill Burgess – Racehorse owner, Graham Crabtree – Racehorse owner, Graham Frankland – Racehorse owner, Heather Blackburn – Racehorse owner, Heather Little – Racehorse owner, Hilary James – Racehorse owner, Howell Jenkins – Racehorse owner, Hugh Steven – Racehorse owner, Ian Barker – Racehorse owner, Ian Jones – Racehorse owner, Ian Ruddock – Racehorse owner, Ian Smith – Racehorse owner, Ian Stewart – Racehorse owner, Jacqueline Abbott – Racehorse owner, James Fyffe – Racehorse owner, James Hazeldine – Racehorse owner, James Scott – Racehorse owner, James Wigan – Racehorse owner, Jane Collier – Racehorse owner, Jane Fawcett – Racehorse owner, Jane Hodgson – Racehorse owner, Jane Sheppard – Racehorse owner, Jane Williams – Racehorse owner, Jason Goddard – Racehorse owner, Jean-Philippe Ramdas – Racehorse owner, Jenny Hicks Beach – Racehorse owner, Jenny Lupton – Racehorse owner, Jeremy Ker – Racehorse owner, Jeremy Lowry – Racehorse owner, Jim Bryce – Racehorse owner, Joanna Humphrey – Racehorse owner, Joanna Whittington – Racehorse owner, John Docherty – Racehorse owner, John Findlay – Racehorse owner, John Finerty – Racehorse owner, John Monk – Racehorse owner, John Perriss – Racehorse owner, John Rawson – Racehorse owner, John Rodgers – Racehorse owner, John P Romans – Racehorse owner, John Smith – Racehorse owner, John Ydlibi – Racehorse owner, John-Paul Mathieson – Racehorse owner, Jon Rea – Racehorse owner, Jonathan Carey – Racehorse owner, Jonathan Gregory – Racehorse owner, Jonathan Mitchell – Racehorse owner, Julian Bishop – Racehorse owner, Julie Hoskins – Racehorse owner, Katharine M S Oliver – Racehorse owner, Katie Glaze – Racehorse owner, Keith Baker – Racehorse owner, Keith Brown – Racehorse owner, Kelvin Cousins – Racehorse owner, Ken O’Donoughue – Racehorse owner, Kevin Coyle – Racehorse owner, Kevin Merritt – Racehorse owner, Kevin Watt – Racehorse owner, Kim Welsh – Racehorse owner, Kyle Solloway – Racehorse owner, Lance Beasley – Racehorse owner, Lavinia Taylor – Racehorse owner, Lee Watson – Racehorse owner, Liz Rea – Racehorse owner, Luke Lillingston – Racehorse owner, Lynn Lambert – Racehorse owner, Magie Sutherland – Racehorse owner, Malcolm McMaster – Racehorse owner, Maninder Singh – Racehorse owner, Marc Chan – Racehorse owner, Marise Bostock – Racehorse owner, Mark Baker – Racehorse owner, Mark Barlow – Racehorse owner, Mark Darley – Racehorse owner, Mark Fenning – Racehorse owner, Mark Thomas – Racehorse owner, Martyn Chapman – Racehorse owner, Mary Dulverton – Racehorse owner, Melinda Wilson – Racehorse owner, Melissa Brownlow – Racehorse owner, Michael Rogers – Racehorse owner, Michael Buckley – Racehorse owner, Michael Craggs – Racehorse owner, Michael Harris – Racehorse owner, Michael Mundell – Racehorse owner, Michael Sadler – Racehorse owner, Mike Elliott – Racehorse owner, Mike Willmott – Racehorse owner, Miranda Ker – Racehorse owner, Neal Grayston – Racehorse owner, Neil Stuart – Racehorse owner, Nick Brown – Racehorse owner, Nick Browne – Racehorse owner, Nick Hill – Racehorse owner, Nicola Howard-Jones – Racehorse owner, Nigel Galvin – Racehorse owner, Nigel Howard-Jones – Racehorse owner, Nigel Purdham – Racehorse owner, Olivia Hoare – Racehorse owner, Lady Pamela Hewitt – Racehorse owner, Patricia Goodyear – Racehorse owner, Patricia Huxley – Racehorse owner, Paul Bulmer – Racehorse owner, Paul Claydon – Racehorse owner, Paul Huxley – Racehorse owner, Paul Inglett – Racehorse owner, Paul Kingston – Racehorse owner, Paul Maughan – Racehorse owner, Paul Nicholson – Racehorse owner, Paul Nodding – Racehorse owner, Paul Spaldin – Racehorse owner, Paul Tinnion – Racehorse owner, Paul Yates – Racehorse owner, Pauline Mason – Racehorse owner, Penelope Aikenhead – Racehorse owner, Penelope Finerty – Racehorse owner, Peter Dawson – Racehorse owner, Peter Humphrey – Racehorse owner, Peter Fenton – Racehorse owner, Peter Gray – Racehorse owner, Peter Kerr – Racehorse owner, Peter Lowndes – Racehorse owner, Peter Onslow – Racehorse owner, Peter Rowberry – Racehorse owner, Peter Walker – Racehorse owner, Peter Winkworth – Racehorse owner, Petra Jaggard – Racehorse owner, Petronella Jameson – Racehorse owner, Phil Smith – Racehorse owner, Philip Currah – Racehorse owner, Philip Hawthorne – Racehorse owner, Phillip Rhodes – Racehorse owner, Philip Rowley – Racehorse owner, Richard Beamish – Racehorse owner, Richard Bewick – Racehorse owner, Richard George Maxwell Finn – Racehorse owner, Richard Hoskins – Racehorse owner, Richard Hutchings – Racehorse owner, Richard May – Racehorse owner, Ricky Zinger – Racehorse owner, Rob Hawman – Racehorse owner, Robbie Lee – Racehorse owner, Robert Dean – Racehorse owner, Robert Dunn – Racehorse owner, Robert Kirk – Racehorse owner, Robert Speers – Racehorse owner, Robert Waley-Cohen – Racehorse owner, Ronald Crossley – Racehorse owner, Ronald Parnaby – Racehorse owner, Ronnie McCurdy – Racehorse owner, Ros Hargreaves – Racehorse owner, Rosamund Day – Racehorse owner, Rosemary Fetherston-Dilke – Racehorse owner, Rosemary Lowry – Racehorse owner, Rosemary Smyth – Racehorse owner, Sally Bruce – Racehorse owner, Sally White – Racehorse owner, Samantha De La Hey – Racehorse owner, Sandra Hames – Racehorse owner, Sara Spratt – Racehorse owner, Sara Tremlett – Racehorse owner, Sarah Humphrey – Racehorse owner, Sarah Stebbing – Racehorse owner, Serena Underwood – Racehorse owner, Sharon Fellowes – Racehorse owner, Sharon May – Racehorse owner, Shaun Harvey – Racehorse owner, Sheena Pilkington – Racehorse owner, Simon Sampson – Racehorse owner, Simon Collins – Racehorse owner, Simon de Zoete – Racehorse owner, Stephen Blackburn – Racehorse owner, Stephen Darbyshire – Racehorse owner, Stephen David Bradley – Racehorse owner, Stephen Greaves – Racehorse owner, Stephen Laws – Racehorse owner, Stephen Lawson – Racehorse owner, Stephen Neel – Racehorse owner, Steven Harrison – Racehorse owner, Steven Johnson – Racehorse owner, Steven Milnes – Racehorse owner, Stewart Smith – Racehorse owner, Stuart Whaley – Racehorse owner, Susan Bucknall – Racehorse owner, Teresa Dawson – Racehorse owner, Tessa Taylor – Racehorse owner, Tom Floyd – Racehorse owner, Tom King – Racehorse owner, Trisha Keane – Racehorse owner, Ursula Milne Home – Racehorse owner, Valerie Jackson – Racehorse owner, Valerie Renwick – Racehorse owner, Victoria Wooldridge – Racehorse owner, Vimal Khosla – Racehorse owner, Virginia Graham – Racehorse owner, Wayne Woods – Racehorse owner, William Duffy – Racehorse owner, Wynne Tufnell – Racehorse owner, Zac McArdle – Racehorse owner.

Promote and Protect: Welfare communications and the Grand National

Robin Mounsey — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:59:43 +0000

In this blog Robin Mounsey, the British Horseracing Authority’s Head of Communications and Horse Welfare Board member, talks about the steps that British racing is taking to promote the sport’s high welfare standards and safeguard public perception in the build up to the Randox Grand National.

The findings of – the sport’s largest ever customer research project – are clear: Perceptions around welfare are the single biggest barrier to engagement amongst our current and future audiences.

British racing has a proven track record when it comes to investment in the safety and welfare of its participants. £63m has been invested since the year 2000 in veterinary science, research and welfare improvements. Faller rates have reduced continually over the course of 21 consecutive years and the sport’s fatal injury rate has fallen to 0.22% of runners. The sport’s approach to protection and prevention of injuries – and responses when accidents occur – is now more rigorous than it has ever been. However, trust in the sport cannot be taken for granted from either the public, media or political audiences.

At no other time of year is this more in focus than in the period between the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, historically the period where the greatest spotlight falls upon the sport and its ethics and standards are debated both within the sport and the wider public, often driven by the sport’s opponents.

This is a debate that racing should engage with enthusiastically if we are to build and maintain trust. So, what steps does the sport take in this period to influence public perception?

Working with our industry colleagues, in particular the Jockey Club and Great British Racing, we take an approach of “promote and protect”. We promote with confidence the sport’s track record and its ongoing work, and position ourselves as best as possible to protect its reputation if it comes under fire.

Promote

At the heart of our proactive approach to promoting welfare is the campaign, which was developed in 2024 and delivered jointly by the BHA and Great British Racing, alongside the Horse Welfare Board and with additional funding kindly provided by the Jockey Club.

HorsePWR is centred around two main concepts. On the one hand it is a confident promotional campaign related to welfare and safety in the sport, supported by beautiful equine photography which puts the horse front and centre. On the other hand, it is a resource of facts and data around welfare, which shows the sport is willing to be open and transparent about its track record, and is also promoting the significant body of ongoing work to reduce risk and improve equine welfare.

In the spring period the sport invests, thanks to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, substantial and targeted spend on the HorsePWR campaign. That campaign is up and running and is active in various locations nationwide as well as online, and includes:

National newspaper advertising including Mail On Sunday, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Metro and The I
Advertising in travel hub locations in major cities, including bus sides and display ads in prominent locations, including in Liverpool itself
Major advertising sites at stations including Cannon St, Charing Cross, Liverpool Lime St, Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria
Across the national rail network including London stations, GWR routes, Cross Country, Liverpool and Manchester, and Avanti
Extensive online and digital channels including social media and display ads, utilising the

This year we have added to the arsenal of campaign messages with a new Grand National-focused advert which emphasises the ongoing evolution of the race while safeguarding the essence of the spectacle. We have also introduced stunning subtle motion videos which help the campaign stand out in busy commuter environments.

The activity is targeted towards the audiences which Project Beacon identified as being integral to the sport’s future, and the messaging is direct and clear – we are happy to speak about welfare in our sport, confident about our standards and the progress we are making, and open about the risks.

However, HorsePWR is not the limit of our proactive, promotional work and this year we are doing more than ever to ensure that the sport’s perspective is heard.

For example, major interviews will be appearing in national press including the likes of and BHA Chief Executive Brant Dunshea which will include speaking about the sport’s approach to safety.

Great British Racing’s “The Going is Good” campaign also includes this year welfare messaging, again recognising the importance of this issue to our audiences.

Our colleagues at the Jockey Club are in regular contact with journalists and producers from all major national news and broadcast outlets ahead of the Cheltenham and Grand National festivals, inviting them to contact them or the BHA if they want to discuss welfare in any way. In addition, there is targeted national media engagement with trips to yards and welfare education projects in order to generate positive mainstream coverage.

This has the purpose not only of arming our national media with the relevant information and positive welfare stories, but also encouraging them to come to us for official spokespeople if they wish to debate this topic.

We will be writing to racing media and stakeholders sharing briefing and messaging and data packs, so our sport’s key figures are armed with all the information they need if they find themselves discussing welfare matters.

The BHA’s Corporate Affairs team have also taken steps to ensure that political audiences are aware of our approach to welfare. This has included writing to every single MP and providing them with a HorsePWR welfare fact sheet.

In addition to this HorsePWR has appeared in advert and editorial form in the House Magazine and Labour List – both read widely by MPs, members of the House of Lords and their staff.

We have this year written a letter in the name of BHA Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare James Given to every national and regional news outlet in the country.

On top of this, all our collective digital channels will be producing welfare-related content over the coming weeks and the build-up to the National, alongside all of the extensive efforts that go into promoting the race itself.

Protect

Alongside the sport’s front-foot approach in this period, we also invest a significant amount of thought into how we ensure we are best structured to react to any welfare-related issues that arise. Our approach is that, if there are issues, then we should be visible as a sport, ready to speak frankly, and provide the facts.

Senior spokespeople will be available from both the BHA and Aintree racecourse to speak to media before, during or after the festival, and the BHA, GBR and Jockey Club will work together to discuss any incoming requests and determine who will be the appropriate spokesperson.

We will also be deploying our BHA veterinary spokesperson initiative at this fixture. As is the case at all major fixtures we have one of a group of BHA vets on hand to be able to speak to broadcasters about welfare-related matters, especially in the case of major incidents.

This was put into action at the Cheltenham Festival where James Given gave interviews to and via our own giving some context to the sad incident involving Envoi Allen.

In the instance of an incident in the Grand National, or indeed through the week, the team at the Jockey Club will be responsible for the initial flow of timely, accurate information to the media in the wake of any incidents. Following on from this our spokespeople will be available if needed to speak to media. And if the situation warrants then we will not hesitate in ensuring they are visible on major broadcast outlets in the aftermath of the race, representing the sport.

Moreover, we work with a group of “advocates” who are people from across the sport who are willing to speak on its behalf in situations where a spokesperson who doesn’t represent the sport’s governing body is more appropriate, or if we need extra support in instances where we have numerous media requests. Those spokespeople are well briefed and include first class representatives of the sport including the likes of Tom Scudamore, Kevin Blake, Sally Ann Grassick and Frankie Foster, who will also be publishing welfare-related content via . We are grateful to all of them for making themselves available on behalf of the sport.

Away from the National

This blog provides a summary of some of the actions we are taking during this period but it is not exhaustive – there is plenty more activity we will be carrying out via our public and private channels during this period, including also talking about the cultural and economic importance of the race.

Of course, welfare communication is not only a consideration during the spring period. It is a year-round activity and one of the priority strategic communication areas for the BHA, Jockey Club, Great British Racing and Horse Welfare Board.

Perception, trust and social licence will form an important part of the next iteration of the Horse Welfare Board’s strategy, which is currently being developed and will be published later this year.

We also have the sixth consecutive National Racehorse Week to look forward to at the end of summer, running from Saturday 22 – Monday 31 August. This is where the sport opens its doors to the public and showcases the high standards of care that exist within our training yards up and down the country. Racing is the only top-tier sport to open its doors for free in this way.

In conclusion

The Grand National remains an iconic race, by far the world’s most famous. It will be available to around 600m people worldwide, 150,000 will attend the racecourse over three days. It generates approximately £60m for the local region each year, and 13 million people will have their annual flutter on the race.

This profile brings with it elevated scrutiny, and it is right that this should be the case. British racing must show itself to be willing to listen to concerns, engage in debate and, at the same time, calmly and confidently proactively show our pride in the sport’s welfare standards and the race itself.

Listen: The Handicapper – Constitution Hill’s official BHA rating

Murry Toms — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:32:22 +0000

BHA handicapper Adam Barnes joined Tommy Churchyard to discuss Constitution Hill, who received an official rating following his second Flat win last week. He won in the Virgin Bet Novice Stakes at Kempton Racecourse on Wednesday (25.03.26). He discusses:

• Constitution Hill’s unbeaten start
• His new handicap mark
• Future prospects on the Flat

The Handicapper is released every Tuesday morning, when the BHA ratings are officially updated.

The BHA Podcast – Cheltenham reflections, training fees credits and the D&I strategy launch

Murry Toms — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:54 +0000

In a bumper new episode of The BHA Podcast, host Nick Lightfoot looks back on some of the main talking points from the Cheltenham Festival before Richard Wayman stops by to discuss the recently-announced Training Fees Credit Scheme.

Finally, Rose Grissell joins the show to expand on the sport’s new diversity and inclusion strategy.

Cheltenham Festival: Meet the starters – watch

Murry Toms — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:42:01 +0000

With the Cheltenham Festival upon us it is inevitable that the starts of Jumps races will be a point of discussion.

On average around three in every 100 Jumps races see a false start…however, at last year’s Festival there were 10 in the 28 races, which is clearly far too many and something we all want to avoid.

Steps have been taken to liaise with the jockeys and racecourse regarding what might have caused this, and some of the starting locations which have been identified as problematic have been adjusted.

However, the principles around Jump starts will still be maintained at the Festival this week. This is all about maintaining trust between starter and jockeys, and ensuring that no one is unfairly advantaged by the start of the race.

This short film sees BHA starters Robbie Supple, Sophia Upton and Will Jordan – all former jockeys – explain how the starting procedures work, and answer questions such as “why don’t you just let them go?” “why do you use standing starts?” and “why do you sometimes let them go from so far back?”

Watch: Raceday Welfare at the Cheltenham Festival

Murry Toms — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:24:54 +0000

Horse safety and welfare is paramount to British racing.

Ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, we have produced a short film to highlight the measures in place at the Festival to ensure that each runner lines up in the best possible condition and receives the highest standard of care and support.

In the following video, Sally Taylor, BHA Head of Equine Regulation, Safety & Welfare, and Amy Hawthorn, BHA Veterinary Officer, walk you through the steps taken for each horse running at Cheltenham, including:

– Pre-race examinations
– Submission and analysis of medication records
– Monitoring of horses during and after the race

For more information on horse safety and welfare in British racing, – British racing’s online hub dedicated to the Thoroughbred racehorse.

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The Handicapper: Randox Grand National

The BHA Podcast – Randox Grand National 2026

Watch: Equine welfare at the Grand National Festival

New blog: Affordability checks, Levy review and Scottish and Welsh elections

Affordability checks – Save Our Bets

Conclusion of the Levy review

Scottish and Welsh elections

Open letter to Secretary of State for DCMS, Lisa Nandy MP

Promote and Protect: Welfare communications and the Grand National

Listen: The Handicapper – Constitution Hill’s official BHA rating

The BHA Podcast – Cheltenham reflections, training fees credits and the D&I strategy launch

Cheltenham Festival: Meet the starters – watch

Watch: Raceday Welfare at the Cheltenham Festival

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